The Dark I Know Well
by Ali James
Summary: Total AU Takes place with a westernish background. Dean saves Sam from his abusive father. But naturally touble doesn't lurk too far away. Nonrelated slash! Dean/Sam.
1. Chapter 1

Hello puppies, this is my first story fic so be nice and please review

Summary: Total AU Takes place with a westernish background. Dean saves Sam from his abusive father. (Non related slash!) Dean/Sam.

Title from Spring Awakening

I Don't own Supernatural, Sam or Dean….. but if I did well…. It wouldn't be a family friendly show.

Sam Porter woke up with a start. The fifteen-year-old could hear his father banging around down stairs in their old farm house. He brushed his long brown fringe away from his brown eyes and looked out the window; the sun was high in the sky. He dressed as quickly as he could, stumbling over his long legs. It was cold in his room as the fire had died but more importantly he could already tell his father was in a foul mood and he didn't want his father taking it out on him. He raced down stairs. "Damn it Sam." Ethan, his father yelled. "How many times do I have to tell you not to make so much noise in the morning?" Ethan yelled as stormed over to Sam. Sam could see an empty liquor bottle on his father's arm rest on his favorite chair in front of the fire. Sam met his gaze and Ethan slapped him hard. The action appeared to hurt both of them. The sting hurt Sam's face and the sound hurt Ethan's head. Sam smiled internally, 'serves you right.' He thought. Ethan walked back over to the kitchen to fix himself a drink to help with the hangover. "Get your stuff together." He called over his shoulder. "We are heading to the market today, bout time we break in that new pinto." Sam smiled, he loved the market there were so many people and so many things to see and so many different ways that he could get away from his father. Just for a little while at least.

In town Dean Winchester woke up with a groan. The sun was poring in his eyes from the open window in the inn that he was currently staying in. The sun seemed to bounce of his short dirty blond hair. "Good morning sugar." He heard a husky voice say. He cracked one green eye open and rolled over and had his first good look at the night's distraction. The twenty-four-year-old had to stop himself from shuddering. She defiantly wasn't the angle in this light or this sober. "Get out." He said. "Your money is on the dresser." And he rolled back over onto his stomach. "Alright honey." She said with a groan as she got out of bed. Dean heard the door close on her way out. He ambled out of bed to the wash basin and mirror. He scrubbed the sleep from his face and went about washing. Dean had to go the to the market fair to get a horse. He was tiered of drifting from one town to the next stowing away on a train or trying to hitch a ride. It was time for him to get a horse.

Dean made his way through the market fair. He had seen fifteen horses already and none of them where what he was looking for. Suddenly he heard screaming and saw a mass of hysterics a head of him. People where running, knocking over stalls, fences and selling booths. A huge black mare had broken free of her ropes and was trying to get free, but there appeared to be too many people and stuff in her way. Suddenly the mare turned and cantered straight for Dean. Dean barley had time to register what was going on before a kid jumped in front of him throwing up his arms trying to calm the horse down. Dean could only see the kid from the back but he knew that he couldn't have been more than fifteen, though tall for his age. The horse reared and settled right before the kid. The kid stroked the horse's nose and long neck, leaning into her whispering in her ear. She seemed to embrace him with her neck lowly wining with what seemed like pleasure. The owner of the horse finally tracked her down yelling and screaming. He gave the kid a quick nod before throwing a leading rope around her neck and pulling her away. The kid watched them go stuffing his hands in his pocket. He looked around suddenly aware that everyone was looking at him. Dean took pity on him and walked up to him.

"That was um…" Dean trailed off as the kid turned around, and Dean saw him for the first time. His breath caught in his throat. The kid was beautiful to say the least. He had incredibly graceful features, with brown hair that hung in front of his dark soulful eyes and lips that were starting to curve into the slightest smile as if he was proud of his effect that he was having on Dean. But in truth the kid was so innocent that Dean knew that he had no idea the effect that he was having him. Dean didn't even understanding it himself. Dean had never in his life had trouble talking to anyone male or female. He had been with enough women to know who to charm anyone but this kid this boy no less left him, well speechless.

"It was nothing." The kid said. He looked down at the ground and started kicking the dirt with his boot. No longer being able to see the kid's face broke Dean's hypnosis. "No, it was what you did with that horse, just talking to it." "Her" the kid interrupted. "She's a mare." "Talking to her" Dean went on, "Well you really had away with her." He stopped as he saw the kid smile. The kid had a beautiful wide smile what made it all the more appealing was the way that he pushed his tongue to the back of his front teeth almost nibbling on it like a nervous habit. Dean felt his stomach flip flop and growing sensation come from his groin, he desperately wanted to explore that tongue. Dean tried to stop these thoughts he was a good deal older than this kid not to mention that he bed women, but there it was his tongue between his teeth. Dean suddenly realized that they were just standing there.

"My name is Dean, Dean Winchester." Dean said smiling. "Like the riffle?" The kid asked. Dean smile grew wider. "Like the riffle." He answered. "And you are?" Dean asked. "Oh umm." The kid blushed suddenly nervous as hell. "S-Sam Porter, Mr. Winchester."

Dean was taken back. 'Mr?...Mr. Jesus I am not that much older than the kid!' He thought. "Call me Dean." He said firmly. "Yes sir." Sam answered. Before Dean could corrected him he heard someone shout and Sam flinch as his eyes grew wide. Dean drew his eyes brows together in confusion. Then a man came up and grabbed Sam by the back of his collar and spun him around. "You answer me when I call you boy!" The man yelled in Sam's face. "Yes sir." Sam answered. The man probably Sam's father shoved him. Dean was having a hard time containing him self. He wanted to tear the guy a new one for yelling at his son like that. "Where the hell have you been? Huh? I have been looking everywhere for you!" "I…I…"Sam stuttered. Sam's father looked like he was about to hit him.

"He saved us from damn near getting trapped to death by a wide mare." Dean piped up. Sam's father threw him a quick look before grabbing Sam by the back of the neck and shoving him forward all the while keeping his death grip tight. Dean new that it would leave bruises on Sam's neck as he watched helplessly as they walked away.

Sam didn't seem to notice that his father was manhandling him. He was still in a daze. Sam had just taken off to stop the mare but it all got foggy after that. Dean. Dean was all Sam could put together in his head. He was soothing the horse then…Dean. The first thing that Sam remembered was his low even voice, then it was those green eyes. Sam remembered his owns eyes drifting down Dean's face over nose lingering at his lips, then continuing down his neck, his broad shoulders and solid build. As he stood in front of Dean, Sam wondered what it would like to slip his hand under his shift and feel his soft skin. Then as his father gave him a particularly ruff shove into one of the make shift barns that was erected for the market fair Sam's mind cleared. He had never felt this way before he didn't know what it meant, but he was pretty sure that he shouldn't felling be felling whatever it was for older men. Besides Sam was always getting special attention for the way he looked however a good portion of that attention was directed at the new cut or bruise that he had on his face at any given time. Ethan broke his train of thought. "Well just don't sit there! Get off your ass and get the horses ready!" Ethan yelled. "And boy!" Ethan said, and Sam turned around. "What you did with that horse back there…just like your mother. She had a way with horses too." He said and he walked off. Sam watched his father go. He never talked about Sam's mother, and if he did it was never in the same context as Sam. Sam realized he had done a good job, and that was his father's sad attempt at saying so. Sam got back to work and as he was saddling the horses Dean flooded back into his mind and a smile graced his lips.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next couple of days the only thing that Dean could think of was the kid from the Fair. He lost all interest in women and spent his nights lost in thoughts about Sam, drinking whatever hard liquor he could get his hands on. It wasn't until the fifth day after the fair, did Dean see Sam again. Dean was finishing up talks with a local land owner still trying to find the right horse when he walking on the opposite side of the dirt town road was Sam. He was folded up on himself, hands in his pockets, big had covering his face, head down. It was pretty obvious that he was trying to become invisible. Sam stopped outside the liquor store obviously waiting for someone. Dean ended his conversation and jogged over to Sam.

"Sam" He called. Sam looked in his direction but with his hair and the hat Dean really couldn't see his face. Dean came up beside him.

"Good to see you again." Dean said. Dean did manage to see a smile graces Sam's face.

Dean took the tip of Sam's hat between his fingers and tilted it up. "What is with the…" He stopped when he saw the bruises on Sam's face. Sam backed away slightly.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"I- I got into a fight with some other kids out by my farm." Sam lied unconvincingly.

"You don't seem like the type of kid that would get himself into fights." He paused. "Did your dad do this to you?" Dean asked moving a little closer to Sam, though he already knew the answer.

"Look!" Sam said shoving him away. "You don't even know me!" Sam yelled though he couldn't believe he was. Finally someone was actually caring about him and here he was shoving them away no less. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' Sam thought. Sam had spent a lot of time thinking about touching Dean since the market fair and in none of those fantasies was he pushing him away.

Dean stumble back just as Ethan was coming out of the liquor store. "Look Sam I didn't mean to." Dean stopped when he saw Ethan.

"Is my boy bothering you?" Ethan asked Dean.

"No, sir" Dean answered. Before he had time to get in another word in Ethan was holing Sam off again. He could hear him yelling.

"What the hell were you doing boy? Causing a scene like that. I will teach you to make a scene!"

Dean watched them. He could feel rage building up inside him at the way Ethan was treating Sam. To his own surprise all he wanted to do was protect the kid. 'He is really getting under my skin.' Dean thought. Dean always put him self first that is how he managed to stay alive for so long. Watch your own back and don't put your nose where it doesn't belong. 'Well there is no harm in asking around.' Dean thought. So Dean ambled up to one of the various saloons along the town road.

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By the time that Sam got home night had fallen and all he was thinking was how he had wished he had grabbed on to Dean and asked him to take him away, anywhere but here with his father. Sam stumbled into the main room and landed in front of his father's chair. Ethan walked over to him and grabbed his hair pulling his face up to his. Ethan looked over Sam's face as if he was trying to figure something out. Sam thought that maybe he was off the hook. Ethan would just tell him to start on his chores and be on his way. It wasn't all bad living with his father. Sam liked to think that one day he could see eye to with him. That he would be something that his father could be proud of. Ethan seemed to read the hope in his eyes and dragged him to the fire place as he did so he ripped off Sam's shirt. He picked up a burning hot poker from the fire and placed it on Sam's shoulder and watched him scream. Between the tears Sam looked up at his father. He hoped whatever he was trying to kill in himself by hurting Sam that it would die soon. Ethan stopped just as quickly as he had started. He let Sam go and Sam scurried away from him. Sam backed into a wall and watched as his father sat down. Sam didn't let his eyes leave Ethan's form; at least while Sam was watching him he couldn't hurt him.

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Dean was working on his fourth drink while talking to the local doctor…well as Dean learned he was really a glorified pharmacist. Dean was half listening to the "doctor" drone on and on about how they just didn't make boots the way that they used. He could remember the day when you could get boots and your feet would wear out before they did. They were made from best leathers that would curve to your foot and not blister it. "Damn blisters!" The man said as he slammed his hand down.

Dean was creating a list of all the features he hated about the man in his head. First and foremost was his breath. Dean was wondering that after the man was done with his boots if he ate them. Second was constant flailing. He seemed to punctuate each point with slapping his hand on the table, grabbing at Dean's shirt or leaning in closer to Dean, which brought Dean back to the number one reason he hated him. Third was it seemed like it was a daily ritual for him to get drunk and pass out. 'Perfect.' Dean thought, 'The town drunk or rather one of the town drunks was its only doctor. Pharmacist.' Dean corrected himself.

"You see there lad, the reason needs a good pair of boots is because is because he needs something to keep him on his feet with all of the suffering you see in a day." The man slurred on. This got Dean's attention.

"What do you mean by that, Doc?" Dean asked.

"No, call me Duncan." The man said pointedly.

"I guess you see a lot in your line of work." Dean tried.

"Sure do, sure do." The man nodded looking into his drink. "Sickness, death accidents." Duncan stopped. Dean waited to see if he would go further. "But you know what is worse than the accidents?" He asked. Dean shook his head. "All the injuries that weren't accidents, the intentional pain." Duncan signaled the bartender for a refill and he obliged. Duncan offered some to Dean but Dean refused. He was finally getting somewhere.

"You have had a lot of experience with that…the intentional stuff." Dean asked quietly.

Duncan nodded. "There are some mean men, men who don't like the way their life ended up. So they take it out on their women…their children. Now it ain't my place to say how a man handles his family. But that stuff stays with you, those kids."

"Kids like Sam Porter?" Dean asked.

Duncan let out a laugh that sounded more like a cough. "The Porters! Damn near the ones keeping me in business all these years. First with the wife, the woman was always sick. How she lived so long or even had a child I will never know. And that boy. Can't tell how many times I have patched him up." Duncan said sullenly.

"So it has been happening for a while." Dean said but it was more of a statement than a question.

"All his life." Duncan answered then paused. "Don't know what is in that boy that has Ethan so angry or scared but he has been trying to beat it out of him his whole life." Duncan said. But at this point Duncan was talking more to him self then Dean. "You ask me it is those eyes. His mom is in those eyes, her life, her spirit. Ethan can't handle her looking at him. Seeing what he has become. But that is not the sad part. Sometimes Ethan just sees Sam as Sam, sees his own son. Treats him like a son you would never know there was anything wrong. Sam clings on to those times, the hope that his father will just love him. It is the hope that is killing that boy."

Duncan pushed glass way. He looked to Dean surprised that he was still there. "You have put me off my drink." He growled at Dean. He picked up his hat and left. Dean sat staring Duncan's drink.

Dean wanted to help Sam, but he just didn't know how. There were many things that Dean was good at. But the thing he was best at was running. He could always hightail it out of town, get the hell outa doge when the situation called for it. But that was no life for a kid. Blowing from one place to the next. He didn't want that for Sam. He doubted that Sam would even go with him. He had met Sam twice and he was ready to run away with him. All he wanted was to save him. He just didn't know how.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day Dean was walking down the street leading his new horse. It was the first thing that Dean had smiled about since Sam. As he walked he imagined himself on the horse with Sam in his arms, riding away together. He could almost feel how perfectly Sam would fit into his arms, how he would lean his head back on Dean's shoulder. Sam would sit just perfectly, so Dean could whisper in his ear or caress his neck with his lips. Sam's eyes closing with a mixture of pleasure, contentment and lust. He could lean his back on Dean's chest, knowing Dean would never let him fall. Their breathing falling in sync with one another. Dean's legs would be behind Sam's on either side of the horse, Sam's outer thighs rubbing against Dean's inner thigh. They could just ride like that Sam in Dean's arms, no real justification behind the long embrace simply two people who loved each other. Dean was so lost in his musing that he walked right into a man in front of him.

"Hey watch where you are going there, kid." The stranger said.

Dean looked at him from head to toe; the man was nothing remarkable though caring many more guns than Dean was, so Dean decided to drop it. Dean heard several gun shots and he looked over to where the sound was coming from. A bunch of drunken men were shooting their guns at the sky, excited about something. Dean shook his head. 'What goes up must come down.' He thought. He went to lead his new horse away from the scene; he didn't want it to get spooked. However he was too late, a particularly drunken man fired his riffle at a passing dog. The loud band spooked the horse and it started to rear. Dean lost his hold on the lead rope and the horse spun to run. However as it came back down on all fours, someone stopped it.

"You again." Dean heard a voice say to the horse. Dean smiled and walked from behind the horse. "Hey Sam." He said.

"Dean!" Sam said sounding surprised. "This mare must really have it in for you." Sam smiled.

Dean noticed his tongue again and tried to continue to think logically. "Hope not." Dean managed to say. "I just bought her."

Sam continued to pet her, and she whinnied with pleasure. "She is beautiful." Sam said. Dean stood and watched the two. Sam patted her long neck, and she brought her head down to his shoulders and he leaned his head on her forehead. It was hard to explain but they had a familial bond.

"Hey now." Dean said starting to get jealous of the horse of all things. "I am starting to think that the two of you will run off together.

Sam smiled, "Well it wouldn't be the worst thing. I think that she likes me." He teased.

"Well she is an excellent judge of character." Dean praised. Sam blushed. "Hey, are you busy? I need to go buy equipment and tackle for her. You wanna come?"

Sam beamed up at him. "Really?" He asked.

"Come on." Dean said as he ran his hand through Sam's hair messing it up. Sam smiled and tried to flatten it, but it didn't work. As the two were going through old riding gear trying to find what was appropriate for the mare they started getting to know each other.

"So where are you from?" Sam asked.

"Everywhere really." Dean answered. "I grew up all over the place. Never really did have a spot to call home."

"Well home isn't it is all cracked up to be." Sam said under his breath. "What is it like to do whatever you want, whenever you want?" Sam asked.

Dean laughed. "Well it isn't really like that; I go where the wind and work take me. Beside you don't really have a lot of choice. Well if you consider which stall to sleep in a choice."

"What is your work?" Sam asked.

"Anything really. Man of all trades. Have to be. Have to be flexible to what people need. I have to be anything from a horse trainer to a blacksmith." Dean answered. He found Sam's wide eyed fascination with his life endearing. He was pleasantly surprised that Ethan hadn't managed to beat that out of him.

"Where did you learn it all from?" Sam asked as he sorted through a pile of saddle bags.

"My dad" Dean answered simply, spotting a saddle bag that he liked.

Sam stopped and looked up at him. "Your dad?" He asked with hesitant curiosity. Sam had never really thought about Dean having a dad or any sort of family like that…but Sam couldn't get his mind past Dean's dad.

Dean stopped and looked at Sam. "Ya, my dad. His work took us all over the place. He was a hunter. He hunted all sorts of stuff. When he couldn't hunt he picked up work where he could find it."

"Where is he now?" Sam asked.

"Dead…I think." Dean answered matter-of-factly.

"You think?" Sam asked skeptically.

"Well he went on a hunting trip and never came back." Dean said. Dean tried to hide the emotion threatening to crack his voice so he busied him self with the saddle bag. He hazarded a glance over to Sam. The kid seemed in awe of him. Dean found it incredibly charming. Sam noticed Dean looking at him, he smiled. His smile seemed to light up his face, Dean noticed. Dean wanted to kiss him when he smiled. Taste his happiness on his lips. But then he saw the innocents and the awe again and he remembered that he was just a kid. He chastised him self. Dean knew this feeling was wrong but he couldn't make it go away. The harder he tried to fight it the more that it seemed to grow. Dean went to look away to try and removed some of his temptation when Sam moved his hair out of his eyes with a flick of the head. Dean's groin took notice. This kid wasn't all innocents. Something completely innocent could not be so damn sexy.

"Did you ever try to find out what happened?" Sam asked breaking Dean's thoughts.

"Oh, ya. I looked for what seemed like ages. I couldn't let him go. Anywhere there was a slightest whisper…" Dean broke off.

"I didn't mean to pry." Sam said. Learning about Dean's life was fascinating for Sam. It was stripping away all of the mythology around Dean that Sam had created in his head. Or maybe Sam reconsidered he was creating even more mythology. Sam imagined Dean moving from place to place. Way ward traveler, hunting with his Dad. Defeating all forms of beasts that came in their path; father and son warrior heroes. Sam was hit with a sudden pang of utter depression. Sam would never have that with his father but more over warrior heroes don't care about stupid kids that they meet along their way. Sam was coming to the realization that all of his fantasies all of his dreams about him and Dean going off together was just that, dreams.

He cursed himself, for getting his hopes up. No one was going to rescue him. He was going to have to do it himself. "Listen, Dean this has been really nice and everything but I have to go." Sam dropped the saddle bag that he was holding and turned to leave.

Dean stood in shock. "Sam wait!" Dean went after him. He caught up to him just out side the store. He grabbed his arm to keep him from walking off. Sam let out a muffled cry of pain and his knees threatened to give out. If Dean hadn't of caught him he would have fallen to the floor. Dean unprepared for Sam's sudden weight fell into the wall arms around Sam. Sam was heavy in his arms. That is when he noticed something sticky under the hand that he grabbed Sam with. He slowly pulled away his had to reveal what looked like blood. He looked down at Sam's arm and saw blood and something else seeping through his shirt. "Sam...I" Dean stated.

Sam was breathing heavily trying to keep the pain at bay. He cursed under his breath. 'Of all the places Dean could have grabbed me, it had to be my burn.' Sam thought. He wriggled out of Deans arms and regained his footing.

"Sorry about that." Sam said staring at the floor. "Really I got to go." He walked to the end of the store front. Dean caught up with him.

"Sam." Dean called not wanting to inflict anymore pain on the kid. "Just stop."

Sam did. Dean came up beside him. "What happened?" Dean asked.

"Doesn't matter." Sam answered sullenly.

"Sam! Yes it does." Dean said as he took Sam's chin in his hands and turned his face so that it was facing him. The older man moved closer. He sighed. "Sam." He said in a low whisper. "Tell me what happened."

Sam couldn't refuse him. He felt his defenses falling away. "My dad, h-he burned me." Dean clenched his jaw and suddenly became ridged. "But Dean, it is okay. Alright? It isn't a big deal." Sam tried to calm Dean down.

"Sam look at me." Dean said holding his chin a little more firmly. "It isn't okay, no it is not alright and it is a big deal. You don't deserve any of it. It is not fair that you have to." Dean stopped. "I hate that he does that to you." Dean let his fingers caress Sam's chin, jaw line and cheek. Sam pressed his face into Dean's hand. Suddenly the sounds of the street and the world flooded back into Dean's consciousness. The gang of drunks were getting rowdy and people were yelling at them. Dean pulled away. Sam almost seemed to follow his hand. Once their connection was broken the two tried to regain themselves.

"What is her name?" Sam asked.

"What?" Dean asked having no idea what the young man was talking about.

"The mare." Sam stated. "What are you going to call her?"

"Oh, that. I thought that you could help me pick out a name." Sam smiled up at Dean. Sam furrowed his brow in thought.

"Kalifax?" Sam suggested.

"What is Kalifax?" Dean asked.

"It was a ship." Sam answered

"I don't think that she would like being named after a boat." Dean said.

"A ship." Sam corrected

"What about Bucephalus, that was Alexander the Great's horse." Dean said.

"Bucephalus was male. Lofty goals, there Dean." Sam retorted

"You know your history." Dean replied. "Smart ass." He added

Sam flashed him his most mischievous grin. "What about Artemis? Goddess of the hunt."

"Sam, that is perfect!" Dean exclaimed. Dean through his arm around Sam. "Guess you got a lot of brains under all that hair."

"New concept for you huh?" Sam joked. Dean looked at him in mock shock.

"Why you cocky little…" Dean said while he messed up Sam's hair. Sam laughed. He laughed a real honest laugh. Dean laughed back.

Suddenly people began running, and ducking into stores. Dean spun around to see what was going on. The group of drunken morons were standing off against the sheriff and his men. Then with out even a warning they started shooting and all hell broke loose.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hello again puppies. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review. You are all my heroes, you rock the Casbah!!! Alrighty then enjoy.

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Dean pulled Sam into one of the near by alleys when the shooting started. What he didn't anticipate was a pile of empty barrels behind them. Dean had pulled Sam with such force that Sam went over the barrels first and landed with arms splayed out on either side of him. Dean landed on top of him. He had tried to break his fall by putting his arms out in front of him. He managed to avoid crushing Sam. His left hand landed just above Sam's left shoulder and his right hand beside Sam's waist. Their faces were half a foot away. Closed enough that they could feel each others ragged pants of breath on each other's faces. One of Sam's legs was betweens Dean's. Sam bent it with the intension of pushing himself from under Dean. However as he raised his knee it grazed against the inside of Dean's thigh slowing coming towards his groin. This unexpected sensation made Dean gasp and Sam stopped moving. They looked deeper into each other's eyes. Sam propped himself upon his elbows bringing his face and inch away from Dean's. Dean let his right hand move to Sam's waist, up his chest along his neck and to the back of his head. Dean pulled him into a kiss. Sam's mouth was already open in anticipation and greeted Dean's tongue welcomingly. Dean let more of his weight fall on Sam as their kiss grew deeper. Something inside's Dean's mind was yelling at him to stop, that this was wrong that he was taking advantage of a kid. But then Sam groaned and arched his back pushing himself into Dean and Dean's doubts were temporally banished. Suddenly Sam's mouth disappeared and he was pushing Dean off of him. Dean rolled off confused as Sam jumped to his feet. Sam's father appeared from around the corner and Dean understood.

"God damn it boy!" Ethan yelled as he hit Sam which sent Sam flying back to the ground, just as he landed Ethan got in a solid kick to Sam's stomach. Sam coughed as the air was forced from his lungs. Dean was up in a second charging at Ethan. Just as he was about to land a punch on Ethan, Sam yelled at him to stop. Dean did and turned to Sam for an explanation as why he shouldn't beat the tar out of the guy. Ethan took this chance and pulled a heavy swing at Dean and Dean too hit the ground hard. Ethan stomped over to Sam. "Sir, I" Sam tried to explain but Ethan took his crop and hit Sam harshly across his face. The leather had broken the skin and Sam was bleeding from his temple across his nose to his check. Once the shock wore off Dean went to get up but Ethan kicked him in the stomach and dragged Sam away.

Dean went to follow them but the street was full of people running around after the shooting and he lost them.

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Once again Sam was being dragged through threshold of his house. Ethan threw Sam into his chair. "You listen to me boy and you listen well." Ethan yelled as he got right into Sam's face. "Don't you EVER do that to me again!"

Sam's mind was racing. What had he done? Had Ethan seen Sam with Dean? Had Sam humiliated Ethan by kissing Dean? But he could have sworn that he had pushed Dean off in time. "Sir I" Sam stuttered. "What did." Ethan broke him off.

"What? What? He has the balls to ask me _what_?" Ethan yelled to the universe. "Sam." Ethan said as he got into the boys face again. "When the shooting started and I saw you fall into the alley, I thought that you were hit."

Sam sat in absolute and total shock. 'He was concerned about me." Sam thought too him self.

"You are catching flies Sam." Ethan said as he turned away.

Sam clamped his mouth shut. Sam didn't know what to do with this new information. There was no part of his brain that he could put it under. 'Wait.' Sam thought. 'Maybe I was hit. I am dead and this, this is some weird messed up version of heaven. A heaven were Dean kisses me and my dad cares about me. But this can't be heaven cause the cut on my face and my stomach is killing me.' Sam didn't know how long he sat in his dad's chair. But as Ethan walked by him Sam was pulled from his thoughts.

"You should go look at that cut." Ethan offered.

Sam watched as Ethan walked through the room and out the front door.

Sam slowly got up from the chair and headed to his room.

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Dean was livid. He was pacing back and forth in his room in the inn. He couldn't get the image of Ethan hitting Sam with the crop out of his head. On the rare times that he did manage to keep from replaying it, all he could hear was the noise that Sam made when Ethan kicked him. Dean came to a stop in front of the wash basin. He leaned down and rested his hands on the edges, shoulders hunched over. He slowly met his gaze in his reflection of the mirror. He tried to even his breathing, but that wasn't working. Suddenly and without thought he punched his reflection. His fits went through the mirror hitting the wall. He pulled it back suddenly and watched as his blood pooled in the basin below him.

He grabbed a wash cloth and wrapped it around his hand and sat on the bed. Again the image of Ethan hitting Sam played in his mind. The blood running down Sam's elegant features, the look of fear in his eyes. Dean wanted to banish that fear. He wanted to wrap him up in his arms and keep him safe, keep him close, keep him _his_. Then he imagined what he would do to Ethan and those thoughts were far from gentle.

In that moment Dean made up his mind. He was getting Sam out of there. And what Sam did after that was his choice. He wasn't going to force Sam from one bad situation into another. He was going to give the kid a choice. Dean wished with every part of his being that Sam would pick him.

Dean threw his meager belongings into his pack and headed out of the room. The first thing he needed to do was to find out where Sam lived. The rest he could make up as he went along.

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Sam was slowly getting over his shock as he lay in bed. He looked out the window. The sun was just getting ready to set. Sam had spent the whole afternoon in his room.

Sam let his thoughts drift past his father and back to Dean. Dean on top on him. Sam feeling the heat of his body. How Dean's hand had traveled up his body with such confidence. The way that he kissed. Sam didn't know how other to describe his kiss than a gentle dominance in his mouth.

Sam imagined surrendering to him completely. What would have happened if Ethan hadn't interrupted them and they had more privacy than just and alley. Their kiss would have grown deeper. Pressing into each other. Dean sliding his hand under Sam's shirt exploring the soft skin under. Dean would have been able to take his time with him. He would have patience that only comes with age and experience. Sam on the other hand young and foreign to such intimate touch would have gotten too excited too soon. Sam imagined Dean slowing down. Calming him down. Slowly taking off his own shirt. Lowering him self over Sam. Nibbling at his earlobe whispering in Sam's ear that they had all the time in the world. Dean's large hands taking in his body letting them slip into Sam's pants. Giving him the release that he had been longing for. Sam arching his back pressing him self into Dean. With groans and gasps. Watching Dean watching him as he caused him to feel unimaginable pleasure. Dean smiling at the euphoria he was causing Sam. Then Sam finally collapsing. Breathing heavily. Kissing the corners of Dean's smile.

Sam lying on his bed had his own hand in his pants groaning at his fantasy with Dean. Wishing his own hand was Dean's.

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Dean headed straight for the saloon where he had met 'doctor' Duncan. He was hopeful that Duncan would be trying to wash way his memories with alcohol like he did every night. And tonight Duncan didn't disappoint. Dean spotted him almost immediately. He strode over to him and wiped him around in his chair. "Duncan, where do the Porter's live?" Dean asked. He didn't have time for pleasantries. With every passing moment Dean's mind was creating new and horrifying things that Ethan could be doing to Sam. Duncan must have heard the urgency in his voice.

He gave Dean the directions he needed. He had just turned to pick up his glass and ask Dean what this was all about but by the time he had turned back around Dean was gone. He did manage to see Dean fly by in a blur of black as he and the mare of him flew by the window. Duncan watched him go, and smiled to him self. Some how he knew the _he_ would never be patching up Sam Porter again.

Artemis seemed to feel Dean's urgency as well. She was full of the energy and vigor she had displayed when she and Dean first met. Her strides where smooth and her gate was large. The two moved as if they had always been together. Dean could feel her actions in her muscles before they actually took place. He knew when she was turn sharply or exactly when she was about to jump. And she knew to move faster before Dean could put his leg into position to speed her on.

They reached the clearing just before Sam's farm as the sun was setting. They trotted up the drive way and Dean dismounted. He lead her over to a near by thicket to keep her out of sight. As Dean started causally up the drive way, he weighed his options. Sneak in and find Sam or barge in and beat the living hell out of Ethan. He knew which one he preferred. His hand flinched with the mere thought of breaking Ethan's nose. He smiled as he thought of the satisfying sounds Ethan bones would make as he broke them. It seemed that his desire was making up his mind for him. He was all ready with plan 'beat Ethan to a pulp and save Sam' when he thought of Sam. Sam's face as he saw his father being pummeled in front of his eyes. This gave Dean a rare moment's pause. He growled to himself. _Plan 'A' it is then_. He hadn't even left with Sam yet and the kid was making him soft. Dean chuckled to himself. It was amazing how one person could make Dean go soft and hard at the same time.

Suddenly Dean heard a ruckus coming from the barn. Then a yell, "Damn stupid stubborn ugly as hell pinto! You sure ain't worth what I paid."_ Ethan getting along with the live stock_ Dean thought to him self. That meant that Sam should be home alone. Dean gingerly opened the front door and let him self in.

The room was dark as the sun had fallen behind the trees. The only thing lighting the room was the faint memory of the sun's rays and a dieing fire. He looked around. Living room, dinning area and a kitchen. He saw by the far side of the kitchen there was another door. 'Sam's room?' Dean thought to himself. He tried to quietly make his way over to the door. _Tried_ being the operative word. Dean didn't get half way when he knocked over a whole pile of bottles.

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Sam lay panting in his bed when he heard someone knock over the barn bottles that he never got around to dealing with that day. He knew it wasn't father because he was still yelling at the pinto in the barn. Sam slowly got out of bed. He looked around the room for something to defend himself with. His eyes fell on a large thick stick that he used to keep his window open. He carefully took it from the window and moved towards the door. He opened the door and listened. The intruder was still down stairs. He moved ever so quietly down the stairs, his stick ready to swing at anyone who came at him. The intruder was in his father's bedroom.

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'_This is definitely not Sam's room_.' Dean thought to himself. He was starting to wonder if anyone was home at all. After he knocked over the bottles he expected to hear or see something. But the house was dead quite. He turned and left Ethan's room closing the door behind him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move then blackness.

Sam rolled over the intruder who had crumpled to the floor after he had hit him. Sam was feeling very proud of himself. That feeling drained when he saw the face of the man.

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed between other varied and colourful expletives. He knelt down beside Dean. He tried to shake him awake. "Dean, wake up." Sam said softly. Sam got no response. "Dean wake up…I didn't hit you that hard." Sam tried again. Still no response. Sam slapped him across the face "Dean!"

Dean groaned. He opened his eyes, everything was a blur. Then a worried looking Sam came into focus.

"Hey Sam." Dean tried, but it came out more of a slur.

"Dean what are you doing here?" Sam asked and placed his hand behind Dean back to help him into a sitting position.

"I am here to save you." Dean mumbled sounding very much like a drunk man.

Sam looked at him skeptically.

Dean saw the look and felt his cheeks blush, so he looked down at the floor. "Well I might have been a bite hasty. Cause it feels like you are doing a pretty good job saving your self."

"Dean, I…" Sam started but Dean stopped him by pulling his face down his and kissing him. Dean heard Sam's quick intake of breath and he kissed harder, sucking on Sam's bottom lip. Sam ran his fingers through Dean's short hair at the back of his head, pulling him in deeper and flicking his tongue in Dean's mouth making him moan. Dean pulled away and leaned his forehead against Sam's.

"Artemis is out side waiting, we can go." Dean said looking deep in Sam's brown eyes. He was suddenly nervous. '_What if he says no_……'

"Go?" Sam asked, suddenly looking very much his age.

"Go away from here way from Ethan way from everything." Dean whispered.

Sam pulled away. He had always fantasized about running away. But now that the possibility was here, was looking up at him. He didn't know if he wanted to go. "Dean…I. My Dad." Sam said.

"Your dad?" Dean asked. "Your dad? Sam looked what your dad did to you." Dean gently traced the mark on Sam's face left from the crop.

Sam pushed his face into Dean's hand and sighed. "He was worried I was hit during the shooting." Sam said.

Dean looked at him confusion etched in his face. "Worried? So worried that he kicked you in the stomach? What about when he burned your arm? Was he worried then?" Dean asked.

"Dean you don't understand." Sam tried.

"Then make me understand." Dean said standing up. Sam followed.

Just then the front door swung open and Ethan walked in. His eyes fell on Dean. "You again? What the hell are you doing here? What are you doing with my son?" He asked as he stormed over to him. Sam blocked his way to Dean

"Sam what are you doing?" Dean hissed. He tried to pull Sam out of the way but Sam stood his ground.

"Get out on my way boy." Ethan said threaten. Sam tried not to tremble but he was failing and Ethan took notice. An eerie smile slid over Ethan's face. "What are you going to do?" He asked as if the only harm Sam could do was to a bug.

"Dean," Sam said without taking his eyes off Ethan. "Could you please wait outside?"

"Sam" Den began to protest.

"Dean. Please." Sam said. Sam could hear the raw emotion in his voice. He knew now that if Sam didn't leave now he never would. Dean slowly made his way to the door.

Once the door was shut and Dean was safe on the other side. Sam spoke to Ethan with all the authority he could muster up. "He asked if I wanted to leave with him." Sam said.

Ethan just stared at him.

"Don't you care?" Sam asked.

Again Ethan just stared.

"What you said earlier, about being worried about me did you mean it?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"You are the only thing of your mother's I have left." Ethan said.

Sam's paused and thought his answer over in his head. It wasn't really an answer he thought. "Do you love me? Did you ever love me?" Sam asked. That was really what he wanted to know. What he had wanted to ask since before he could remember. What he had always wanted to ask but never had the courage.

"It is like I said before; you are the only thing of your mother's I have left." Ethan sighed.

"But do you love me?" Sam asked again. His voice was becoming shaky. He shouldn't have to drag this out of his father. A father should be able to tell his son that he loved him.

"I loved her." Ethan said.

"Dad! Do you love me?" Sam yelled.

"How can I love the constant reminder of my failure? How can I love the reminder that I am disappointing her everyday?" Ethan said heatedly.

Sam tried to swallow, he tried to breath. He tried to do anything to prove to himself that he was still alive. "You hate me?" Sam asked in small voice.

"How can I hate my wife's son?" Ethan said sadly.

Suddenly everything came into focus for Sam. He no longer saw the fearsome titan that he always regarded his father has. A larger than life mythical creature that he was afraid of but also wanted to please and have love him. All he saw in front of him was just a man who lost the woman he loved, and was left with a son to raise that he never wanted. It all seemed so small to Sam now. Sam wondered how something so small could cause so much pain in him. The room was closing in on him. It was hard for him to breath. He took one last look at the house where he grew up one last look at his father and walked out the door.

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As soon as Dean closed the door he listened for sounds that Ethan was hurting Sam, but he heard none. He wondered if Sam would come out and tell him to leave. He wondered if Sam would come out at all. He realized that he couldn't rescue Sam if Sam didn't want to be saved. All he could do was give Sam the option, open the door for him. Sam was the one who had to walk through it. Sam was the one who in the end had to save him self. Dean found himself doing something that he never did. He found him self praying to anyone that was listening that Sam would walk through the door.

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Dean had taken a seat on a large rock near the path that led up the door. He head was down and he was kicking a rock back and forth between his feet. Then the door open and Sam walked out the house and didn't look back. Dean stood up as Sam approached him.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked.

Sam looked up at him. What Dean saw nearly broke him. It was still Sam looking up at him. Still the same Sam with the bright-eyed curiosity and innocents, but was somehow different. Before Dean had a chance to figure it out Sam spoke to him ignoring his question.

"You ready to go?" He asked.

They both walked down the path away from the house, silently. Dean looked back at the house and wished he didn't. That house, Ethan had taken so much away from Sam. He had imagined saving Sam from him life and riding off together. But he never thought that Sam would be broken and he would have to figure out how to make him whole again.

They came upon Artemis and she trotted over to Sam. He stroked her long neck and gingerly mounted her. As Dean climbed on Artemis he wrapped his arms around Sam. He moved the mare into a trot and Sam leaned against him letting Dean warm him.

They rode for what seemed like hours. Sam's head lulled on Dean's shoulder and neck. Dean every so often shifted and placed a kiss on Sam's neck.

Dean finally found a place were he could set up camp. They both dismounted and Dean set to work setting up camp while Sam tended to Artemis.

Dean had a make-shift shelter set up that would guard them from the elements and he had a fire going.

Sam and sat beside Dean. Dean rested his lips on Sam's shoulder and they both watched the fire. As they watched the flames Sam slowly turned his head and kissed Dean's neck. Dean closed his eyes enjoying every moment. They surrendered to each other. Each had been waiting so long to, to, well just to touch each other. They didn't want to ruin it by rushing into it, with eager mouths and fumbling fingers. So they took it slow. Each exploring the other with their eyes, mouths and tongues.

Dean let his fingers trace Sam's face along his jaw over his chin, and Dean turned to kiss him. Sam was so warm and loving Dean kissed him as if he was feeding on his love.

They slowly lay down and Dean slipped his hand underneath Sam's shirt. Sam gasped when Dean's hand reached a tender spot one of the many Ethan had left on him. They stopped and Dean looked at Sam then slowly started taking off Sam's shirt. Dean looked over ever inch of Sam's torso slowly kissing any mark left by Ethan.

Sam lay underneath Dean as he explored his body. Thinking how foreign it felt to be loved so completely by someone. Dean slowly made his way back up to Sam's mouth and they began kissing deeply.

Then Sam felt sleep pull at him and inched closer Dean resting his head on Dean's chest. Dean wrapped his arms around Sam.

Dean tried to ignore the extreme swelling in his pants threatening to burst through any second. He didn't want to stop there. He wanted to have Sam completely. But he didn't want to hurt him. Sam was still only fifteen and Dean didn't want to force him into anything when he wasn't ready. So was content holding Sam knowing that Sam belonged to him and that he belonged to Sam. So he could wait.

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Another author's note: Now, I am not sure if I should stop here or keep on going, with further adventures of Sam and Dean. It is enough to say that they get into more trouble and Sam falls under the eyes of not such a nice guy. I have already got a little bit written but I am not sure….

Let me know. If you say so the show will go on.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Well it looks like you lot are pretty keen about this story continuing. I was thinking all of you would say something along the lines of "This Blows. End it and put it out of its misery." That way I could go back to just being a reviewer. Oh well, I took the plunge I better be ready for the water.

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!!!! You rock my socks. Alright then take it easy and enjoy!

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Dean and Sam had been traveling together for months. Not being able to stop in one place for very long. They always managed to find trouble. Sam, Dean quickly learned had a special knack for drawing unwanted attention. At first Dean thought that Ethan had reported that Dean had kidnapped Sam and that was why the authorities where constantly breathing down their necks. When Dean shared his theory with Sam, Sam quickly dispelled it. He still refused to talk about what had transpired between him and Ethan the night they left. Dean could tell that Sam was still working it over in his over worked head. He figured that the kid would have to crack sometime, so until then Dean could wait.

The two had high tailed it out of so many towns in the last couple of months Dean was having problems keeping the towns straight. Was it Aurelia were Dean got into the dispute about logging for one room and not two? The inner keeper seemed to think that it wasn't proper for two young men to be logging in the same room. Dean had put up quite the protest, saying that it was none of his business. The quarrel escalated rapidly and ended with a very sore inn keeper, who as it turned out was the brother of the local sheriff. It was somewhere between the inn and the sheriff's holding cell that Dean realized that Sam was no where in sight. Once the sun had set Dean was a wreck. He had no idea what happened to Sam, no one would answer any of his questions. He was sitting on the edge of the bench in the cell imagining all the terrible things that where happening to Sam while he was sitting there, when he heard someone whispering to him. It was Sam, who had somehow gotten passed the guards and gotten their keys. He informed Dean that Airtimes was waiting for them and that he should watch his temper.

As Dean rode he smiled as he thought of the expression that Sheriff must have had the next morning realizing that Dean was gone. Suddenly clarity came to him, the town with the inner keep and his brother was Apsley. Aurelia was the town where Sam had attracted the attention of one of the local girls mush to Dean's displeasure. She had practically jumped Sam every time she saw him on the streets. Sam had tried to get her to back off. However it didn't seem to matter what he said, nothing would deter her. Unfortunately for Sam, Sam seemed to be the only person around his and the girl's age that didn't find this desperate female attractive. There were a couple of guys in particular that hated Sam. They hated that this new guy had caught her attention and what was more he didn't even seem to care. They set to work trying to make Sam's life miserable while he and Dean were staying in town. Naturally it escalated like it did everywhere else. Dean ended up saving Sam from what promised to be a nasty beating. However the town's people didn't appreciate outsiders coming into their town and beating up their sons' so the two were run out of town.

Not every town they where in ended with them in fights. Dean remembered the very small town of Bancroft. It was poring rain as they arrived at the town's outskirts. It seemed that this town was due for another biblical flood. Dean and Sam walked into town followed by Artemis glaring at them. Dean had always thought that horses where just horses, but after riding with Sam and Artemis, Dean was beginning to discover that horses had very distinct personalities. And at that moment in time Artemis was furious at him for having her out in the rain.

Dean stopped to try and get a look at the painfully small town through the rain. Artemis pushed him in the back with her nose and he stumbled forward. He turned around and glared at her. She glared right back as if to say _I am bigger, faster and stronger than you are. I like you, but if you keep me out in this rain for one more minute longer than I have to be I will not think twice before trampling you._

Dean got the not so subtle hint and continued on his way with Sam laughing at him as he followed. He saw a few people running around ducking into stores trying to stay dry. It was hard to tell because of the rain but it was late afternoon and the few local stores where starting close up. They walked in the first store on their right which appeared to be a barber's shop. The man who Dean assumed was the barber glanced over his shoulder as he was cleaning up. "Sorry lads. I am just closing up there is a hell of a storm coming and I don't have time to fix up that mess." The man said and he tilted his head in Sam's direction.

Sam scowled at him and Dean smirked.

He leaned into Sam and whispered. "Don't worry kiddo; I wouldn't let him touch one hair on your head." Sam smiled up at him, slipping his tongue behind his teeth, this time intentionally knowing the effect that it would have on Dean. Sam slightly closed his eyes and Dean watched as they darkened with a mixture of mischief and lust. Dean stood in silent shock. Over the weeks Sam had been becoming bolder with Dean and he liked it. But he wasn't prepared for a wet Sam subtly seducing him in a barbers shop.

Dean cleared his throat, trying to focus on the task at had. "No sir. We are not looking for a hair cut. We are looking for some place to lodge for the night." Dean said.

Just then a man came from behind the back of the store. He surveyed the two. "Did you say you were looking for a place to stay?" The man asked.

Dean nodded.

"Well my wife and I have a couple of extra rooms that we rent out to travelers passing through." The man offered.

Dean looked at him suspiciously, but a serious lack of other options gave him no choice. "That would be perfect." Dean said and added "I am Dean and this is Sam."

The other man smiled. "I am Patrick; it is nice to meet you Dean and Sam."

A couple of hours later Dean and Sam were sitting down to dinner with Patrick and his wife Megan. Both boys where starving and ate everything they were offered. Megan offered everything the house provided; warm sheets that she kept in a basket by the fire, meal for their horse, a wash for their clothes and even a warm bath.

After supper Sam had a bath first and then went out to check on Artemis, leaving the now warm bath for Dean. Dean let his self relax in the tub and his head lull on the porcelain turn over. He closed his eyes and just enjoyed the moment, until he thought he heard something shifting above him. He snapped open his eyes but saw nothing. He looked around the room and still nothing. The distraction was enough to put him off his bath. So he climbed out and threw on some clothes. What he didn't see as he left the room was some hay and other partials fall from between the ceiling boards and land in the tub.

Dean walked in the room that he and Sam where sharing to find Sam lying on the bed with Artemis's bridle. He was changing out the pieces of old leather that were falling away. Dean watched him for a moment then went and stood next to the bed. Sam looked up at him and put the bridle to the side. Dean slowly leaned over and kissed him. Sam raised his arms and put one hand at the back of Dean's neck and the other he fisted in Dean's shirt pulling him down on top of him. As Dean lay on top of Sam they both smiled, simply taking in each other's faces. Then Dean slowly kissed Sam's neck, kissing harder as Sam's breaths grew faster. Sam firmly caught Dean's chin bring his face up to his. Dean loved Sam's kisses. He didn't play those stupid games that new lovers so often played, granted they weren't actually lovers yet but Dean never bothered with semantics. No, Sam didn't play games he didn't hold back. His kisses where everything and Dean ate them up hungrily. He could feel Sam starting to writhe against him. Dean let out a primal groan from the back of his throat which Sam swallowed with a kiss.

Then Dean heard something above them. The same something he heard while he was in the tub. He pulled away from Sam to look up. Sam let out a small whimper when Dean pulled away but then heard the same noises that Dean had. Dean quickly got up and went for his gun leaving Sam lying on the bed. Sam squinted at the ceiling trying to figure out what the noise was when he saw two eyes looking down at him. Sam's eyes widened as he saw Patrick watching him in the ceiling in the crawl space. He listen closer and he could hear Patrick panting then he whispered to Sam, "No, don't stop."

Dean heard the whisper as Sam bolted from bed. "The ceiling!" Sam pointed and Dean saw rapid movement between the cracks. Dean grabbed his knife and went to run from the room with every intention of teaching this Patrick pervert a lesson, when Sam stopped him.

"Dean, no. Lets just go." Sam said.

Dean let out a low growl. "Sam." He warned. Dean really wanted to macerate the guy. But Sam's pleading eyes stopped him.

Dean let out a sigh. "Fine get your stuff."

The two were back on Artemis with in minutes. She seemed to sense the urgency of the situation and took off with the boys safely on her back.

They couldn't seem to catch a break. He was surprised how well Sam coped with the constant running.

It was this running that was slowly taking them north, much to their displeasure. Because they had been on the move so much they hadn't been able to get another horse, provisions or even decent winter coats. Dean was cursing this fact as the two rode through yet another hostile snow filled landscape. Dean had wrapped Artemis's stall blanket around him and Sam as they rode. Dean could feel Sam shivering in his arms, but Sam didn't complain. He leaned back into Dean and gently kissed the side of Dean's mouth, silently telling him that there was no place in the world that he rather be. Dean held on to him more tightly wishing his warmth onto Sam.

As Sam sat in Dean's arms he thought back to the towns that they had been to, the trouble that they got in. But as he thought about it, it wasn't the trouble that he remembered with total clarity. He remembered those rare times when he and Dean had a moment or two to themselves. He marveled how Dean filled him like a drug. It was those moments that Sam lived for; it was those moments that Sam craved. There were so many things that Sam loved about Dean. Dean's simple little character ticks floated around in Sam's mind and Sam smiled and warmed when one was clear enough to recall. There was the way that when Sam woke up before Dean, Dean always had his arm spread over Sam's stomach possessively. Even in his sleep Dean had to make sure that Sam was still there, that no one else would take him away. There was the way that Dean talked to Artemis when he thought that no one else was around. There was the way that he twitched his fingers to some unknown beat that only Dean could hear when he really had to pee. It was these reasons and so many others that Sam loved Dean.

However on a different list floating around in Sam's head was the reasons that he needed Dean, the reasons that he lusted after Dean, the list of things that made him hard. First on the list was; everything that Dean did had a touch of aggression to it. Even when he tried to kiss Sam gently and tenderly there was a hidden aggression trying to break free. There was also the way that Dean's neck and shoulders tensed when he noticed that someone's eyes had fallen on Sam and they wanted what only Dean could have. Possession and jealousy would make his should tense. Sam loved that he had this effect on Dean. Sam had never thought that he was enough to conjure any strong feelings from someone besides contempt and distain. But to be the source of these feelings in someone was new and exciting, but in someone like Dean, it was exhilarating to say the least. Something else that Sam loved about Dean was when they were together, in each other's arm, kissing, licking, tasting, touching and Sam would tease him by pulling away or slowing down a primal growl would grow in the back of Dean's throat. It was this particular list that Sam started to employee to keep him warm, keep the shivers at bay.

Artemis was having a harder time navigating her way as they were coming upon the beginnings of a forest. Dean leaned into Sam's ear. "We should walk now."

Sam nodded "Give her a break." Dean said as he pulled her reigns over her head to lead her. "It will warm us up." He added. Dean started leading them through the forest. He kept a look out for anywhere they could rest. The forest grew dense quickly. Sam felt shivers run down his back and it wasn't because of the cold. Sam was growing more uneasy with each step. Sam looked around. There was nothing to see besides trees. There was nothing to hear besides the wind. Sam took a closer look at his surrounding. There were no paw prints left by other animals. There was no sign that anything lived there. No birds nests, no dens. There were ample food sources in this forest that would last throughout the year, even in this winter. But yet there was no sign of life. Sam wondered what could scare away the animals.

The two continued to walk. Going deeper into the thick wood. Sam felt his felt his heart beat faster and harder. Despite the fact that there was nothing in the woods something was watching them.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello once again puppies! I wanted to say thanks sooo much for all the reviews and kind words. I am so sorry that I haven't been able to write back to all of you. But when I read your reviews I feel like Golem from the Lord of the Rings. I hunch over my laptop reading them, talking to my self. My precious….Well now that I have wigged you out, on with the show. Enjoy.

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"Dean." He whispered. "I don't think we should be here." Dean stopped and turned to him. "Don't worry." He smiled. "I would never let anything happen to you." He went to kiss Sam when Sam pulled away. "I know but…" Sam couldn't find the words to describe how he felt. Dean watched Sam struggle to explain how he was feeling, trying not to let the hurt show that Sam had pulled away from him. It was the first time Dean realized since they had been together that Sam had pulled away from him, refused him. Dean turned from Sam and continued to walk.

Sam's eye scanned everywhere looking for danger. He felt, no he knew someone was watching them. He knew this feeling well. He remembered Ethan watching him, waiting…planning the pain that he would inflict on him. Sam shivered and tightened his shabby coat around his neck.

Dean had picked up on Sam's apprehension. His experience told him that they were being followed, ever since they entered the words. But the woods would be safer than out in the open. He heard Sam whispering to him.

"Dean someone is watching us." Dean turned at looked at Sam. "Did Ethan teach you to track?" Dean asked surprised.

Sam shook his head no. "I just have this feeling. There is something wrong. Someone is out there." Sam said as he looked off into the woods.

"Sam" Dean tried, but Sam interrupted him.

"I know that someone is following us, and I know you do too but there is something else in these woods." Sam said looking at Dean, fear etched all over Sam's face.

"You should listen to your young friend." A deep voice said. Sam and Dean spun around. There was an old man on horse back and another coming out of the thicket behind him.

"What have you found Isaac?" the other man asked.

The older man, Isaac, peered down at Sam and Dean. He had a white beard and mustache, light blue eyes and a warm smile. He looked anything but evil. Dean could feel Sam warming to him. Dean's eyes hardened looking at the old man. "I have found and young man and a boy." He answered.

The other man came to a stop beside Isaac. This man was younger, perhaps late thirties. He had light brown hair and a long face. He looked over Dean dismissing him then his eyes rested on Sam. Dean could see a faint smile grow on the man's face and Dean moved slightly in front of Sam. Not liking the attention the other man was giving him. It's not that he didn't trust Sam; it's that he didn't truth other people around Sam. Sam was his and he would protect him with all that he was.

"What are you two doing out here? It is dangerous. There are evil beings that live in this forest." Isaac stated.

"We are just passing through." Dean said.

"And you are?" The other man asked.

"I am Dean." Dean answered curtly.

"And he is?" The other man added.

"Sam." Dean answered just as curtly has he had done before.

"And does Sam talk?" The man asked.

"Tobias, leave the boy along can't you see that he is shy?" Isaac interjected. He looked back to Dean. "There isn't a town for miles around. A nasty storm is blowing in. You are welcome to come with us back to the settlement. It has strong fortified walls. It will help block out the worst of the storm." Isaac said.

Dean felt small looking up at the men on horse back. He hated feeling small. Once again he found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. He had two choices; stay in the woods and try to weather out the storm or go with the old guy and very creepy man to some unknown settlement. However he couldn't get his mind to focus on just that. What Sam had said earlier unnerved him. How did he know that they were being tracked? And what was this other thing Sam was talking about. _Something else in these woods… _He found that Sam had made up his mind for him. Sam didn't want to stay in the woods so they wouldn't.

"Thank-you, but we don't have anything to give in return." Dean said.

Sam had waited with baited breath to see what Dean would say. He prayed that Dean would take them up on their offer. They needed to get out of the woods. Despite that his knowledge that they were being followed had been confirmed he still knew that there was something else in the woods. Something evil, malicious watching them…wanting them. He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding when Dean accepted the offer. This old man Isaac was kind. Sam didn't know how he knew but he knew none-the-less that he intended them no harm. He just wished that Dean could see that. There didn't seem to be a bad bone in the man's body. He exuded warmth and safety. He was probably everything to the kids Sam imaged that he had. He was their safety. Isaac's voice broke his train of thought.

"We welcome all travelers without charge. We just ask that they pitch in where they can." Isaac said.

"Thank-you, we won't stay long." Dean said.

"Alright, then lets get a move on. My extremities are starting to freeze." Tobias said.

"The boys have the right idea, Tobias we should walk the horses out of the forest. The last thing we need if for one of them to get hurt." Isaac said. So both men dismounted and pulled the reins over their horse's head.

Isaac led the way out the forest, followed by the boys and Tobias bringing up the back. They hadn't been walking very far when all the questions bouncing around Sam's head threatened to explode if he didn't ask at least one. "Excuse me, Mr. Isaac sir?" Sam tentatively asked.

Isaac chuckled, "You can call me Isaac Sam. What is on your mind?"

"Well theses woods…" Sam said drifting off.

"What about them?" Isaac asked his own curiosity rising.

"Well, what is wrong with them?" Sam asked pointedly.

"Sam!" Dean hissed under his breath. Dean didn't know what to think of these men yet, but he sure as hell didn't trust them. He didn't want to give them a reason to go after Sam, and in this part of the country one didn't need much justification to string up a stranger and call him or her what you wanted. Heretics of any kind where not appreciated and the last thing Dean needed was Sam spilling his thoughts about his uneasiness about the evils in the forest.

Sam shot Dean and annoyed look which Dean returned. Sam knew that there was something wrong with these woods. If these men knew what it was what was the harm in asking? It would be far between to know what was in the woods than to be surprised by it.

"Dean." Isaac said calmly. "Your young friend is very observant." He said looking over his shoulder, down at Sam. How this young boy had deciphered the woods so quickly was curious to say the least.

"So, I was right." Sam said. Throwing a smirk at Dean.

Dean growled. Sam just wasn't getting it. He moved closer to Sam, grabbed his had and squeezed it tightly. Giving Sam a warning look. Sam surprised by the sudden pain in his hand looked in to Dean's face. Dean was mad, and that was putting it mildly. His eyes were dark, his lips were drawn into a tight line and his jaw was firmly clenched. Sam watched his shoulders rise and fall as they walked. Sam nodded his slightly showing Dean he understood and he bowed his head to watch his feet in a silent submission. Dean let go of his hand. Dean felt his stomach turn with unease with how he had treated Sam. But he needed Sam to be quite, he promised both him self and Sam that he would protect him and that would become difficult with the bulls eye that Sam was painting on himself.

Tobias watched the interaction between the two. He watched Sam's curiosity with the forest grow. He saw the light in the boy's eyes as he looked around and his suspicions were confirmed. He watched as Dean tried to control him and Sam resist but finally surrendered. He liked that Sam had fight in him. He liked so many things about Sam and he had only known him for what was now little more than half an hour. The boy was special that much was obvious. Sam had an air about him that pulled Tobias in. He had a distinction that claimed all of Tobias's attention obsessively so. Tobias gave into this obsession willingly.

Isaac on the other hand had not noticed the interaction between the two boys. He had been busy plotting their course safely through the woods. Quite frankly he was relieved to find the two well and alive. He was happy that when he first heard their voices they were filled with compassion and trust with one another. Not pain filled screams that too often escaped from these malevolent woods. Suddenly he remembered that he had let Sam's question go unanswered.

"Yes Sam, you were right." He paused unsure of how much to divulge. "There is an abomination that lurks these woods."

"Abomination?" Sam repeated. He new Dean didn't want him asking any more questions, but he couldn't help him self.

"Yes." Tobias said from behind them. "A creature of sin forsaken by man and God himself.

At this Dean couldn't help but roll his eyes. He had been to school, his father insisted on it. And in school he learned the Bible and God's word. The only abomination in the forest according to the almighty Bible was him. His love and lust for Sam and by returning such feelings Sam in turn too was an abomination. One that was to be scorned and cast out for he was wicked and sinful. Dean had never put any faith in the Bible and since it meant that Sam was evil and depraved he detested it. Dean had lived long enough to know that God didn't exist and if God didn't exist then in turn there was no devil either. The only evil on the planet is what one human being did to another. That was terrible enough. Why would one need to believe that there was something out there that could create even more pain?

"Tobias." Isaac scolded.

"It is best to tell them what lies in these woods, should they decide to return." Tobias answered.

"Tobias." Isaac said again. "Look to the skies. See the storm coming; no one is going into these woods tonight."

Tobias glared at Isaac. He was sick of his good natured attitude and him constantly getting in the way of his…desires.

Sam however did look up. As Isaac had said a storm was gathering as cold winds blew in from the north. As they left the forest the winds were harsher, colder. The small group no longer had the dense trees to protect them. The wind blew right through Sam's coat. He brought up his shoulders and tried to close in on him self, trying unsuccessfully to stay warm.

"Here is as good as place as any to get a real move on." Isaac said stopping them and moving the reigns over his horses head and mounted him. Tobias followed suit then Sam and Dean. Sam once again in Dean's arms. Dean caressed Sam's cheek with his. Giving him a silent apology for hurting his hand. Sam traced Dean's face with his nose letting him know that it was already forgotten. The other two men missed the interchange between them, squinting against the wind as they rode. The harsh winds created privacy for Sam and Dean. However much too soon any kiss placed on a cheek or neck by either of them would go unnoticed. The wind numbed their skin then burned it. Sam didn't know how much more he could take when the large stone walls of the settlement came into view.

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A/N I know that not much has happened in the last two chapters, but they were necessary. Next chapter however… well lets just say it gets juicy.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I wanted to say again thanks so much for all of your reviews. And I would like to give a special thanks to Skag trendy. Thanks for all of your reviews, my hero.

Alrighty then, here is Chapter 7. I hope you like it!

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The big walls sheltered the wind as promised Sam couldn't help to feel relieved. He could feel the pain leaving his skin already. He took a much needed deep breath. Then he realized that Dean was no longer behind him. He looked around to find that Dean had already dismounted and was looking up at him waiting for him to do the same. He came down right beside Dean.

Once they were somewhat warm they had a chance to look around. To Dean the 'settlement' looked more like a fortified stronghold, with large walls equipped with guard towers encompassing the buildings, homes and other structures. The center of the settlement was a large area that was currently being used for the market. Just behind the open area was a huge building made out of stone. It was probably the original building here and the wall was created to protect it. On either side of the large building there were smaller ones that circled the market area.

People had stopped their activities, their preparation for the storm and started observing the new comers. Dean felt himself grow uncomfortable with everyone looking at him and Sam. He shifted straightening himself up. "Relax, Dean." Isaac said softly behind him.

"Right." Dean said sarcastically, like he could relax with so many pairs of eyes on him. When nothing happened, slowly people started going back to what they were doing.

"Isaac!" They heard a woman call. They all turned in the direction of the voice. They saw a woman, Isaac's age walking towards them followed by a girl about Sam's age.

"Margaret! Cecelia!" Isaac answered. The older woman warped her arms around Isaac and held him in a tight embrace. He then put his arms around the younger woman and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Let me introduce you to our new guests. This is Dean and Sam." Nodding in their direction when he spoke each of their names. "Dean, Sam this is my wife Margaret and my daughter Cecelia."

Both Dean and Sam smiled politely and extended their hands for a hand shake. "Nice to meet you." Sam said. Cecelia beamed back at him.

"So, Dean what brings you to these parts?" Margaret asked.

"Well…" Dean began to answer. He watched as Cecelia took Sam's had and pulled him over to Artemis, never letting him go. Dean tried to keep up a conversation with Margaret and Isaac telling them as little as he could without being suspicious and trying to watch Sam and Cecelia all the while fighting the urge to stalk over to Cecelia and rip her hand away from Sam. He had never before been a jealous guy but like everything else, that changed when he met Sam. He was still not used to this dark feeling of anger, fear and possession all rolled into one. He watched as Cecelia leaned in closer and closer to Sam. And Sam, Sam just smiled back. From all appearances Dean was having a friendly conversation with Isaac and Margaret but inside, under the calm surface he was seething.

Sam was surprised hen Cecelia suddenly grabbed his hand and yanked him over to Artemis. Once he was there she wouldn't let him go. She seemed to sense Sam's uneasiness. "Sorry about that." She said. "It is so rare that we get any visitors here. And rarer still that they have such fine horses."

Sam let out of small sigh of relief. "Thanks." He said, using his other hand to pat Artemis. "She likes all the complements she can get."

Cecelia laughed. "What's her name? Where did you get her?"

Sam laughed at her excitement. "Her name is Artemis. I don't were she is from originally."

"I like that name. She has got a wild spirit, I can tell." Cecelia said looking deep into Sam's eyes. "When you let her run free, does she let you come? Does she let you ride her?"

Sam nodded vigorously smiling back at her. "That is the most fun. When all she does is run. You don't have to worry about where she is going or paying attention to what is going on. You just sore over the earth."

Artemis whinnied with pleasure because of the affection she was getting from Sam and Cecelia's hands gliding over her face and neck. However the attention was short lived. "Cecelia." Isaac said. She tore her eyes away from Sam to her father. "Please go find your brother and sister and get them ready for dinner."

She looked back over at Sam and finally let go of his hand. "I will see you later." She said as she took off into on of the buildings.

"Yeah, bye!" Sam called back after her.

Dean managed to break away from the conversation with Margaret, Isaac and much to Dean's displeasure Tobias and came over to Sam.

"What was that?" He hissed through his teeth into Sam's ear.

Sam turned around perplexed? "What was what?"

"That girl, she was all over you? Though you didn't seem to mind at all." Dean said boring holes into Sam with his eyes.

Sam sighed. "Dean," he said. "We were just talking about Artemis. Calm down." Sam couldn't see what Dean was getting so angry about. He loved Dean, he loved everything about Dean. There was nothing that he wouldn't do for him, nothing he wouldn't sacrifice but sometimes it was nice to talk to someone his own age about stuff that had nothing to do with running from the authorities or getting in trouble.

Before Dean had the opportunity to say another word their conversation was broken by Isaac once again. "Dean why don't you and I finish up our talk, I can show you to the dinning room. The storm is almost upon us." Isaac suggested.

Dean was about to object when Tobias stepped in. "I will show young Sam to the stables and find a place for your horse. Then we can meet with you for dinner." He offered, with a polite smile which Dean didn't buy for a second. He was about to object further when Isaac leaned in. "I insist." He said calmly. Dean watched as Tobias walked over to Sam. Sam looked back at him giving him a reassuring glace. One that said '_I will be fine. I can take care of my self._' Then Dean watched as Tobias led him and Artemis to the stables. Dean turned and looked at Isaac. Silently demanding an explanation.

"Dean." He said calmly. "I do not mean to alarm you but this settlement, this area is incredibly religious. Growing even more so with each passing day because of the unfortunate…occurrences that have been happening lately. These people are looking for something to blame, a scapegoat to fix their problems." Isaac took a pause first to make sure that everything was sinking in, and the second questioning if he should go any further. The look on Dean's face told him he should. "A boy talking about an evil forest and strange feelings is the perfect scapegoat. There are all sorts of wicked things people will do in the name of religion." Isaac whispered under a hushed breath as they entered the large stone building. Dean didn't say anything back. There was nothing that he could say. He knew Isaac was right, he was thinking the exact same thing when they were traveling to the settlement. With each passing moment that Sam was away he felt his unease grow.

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Sam followed Tobias into the stables. He led them to an empty stall.

"Thank- you." Sam said looking at Tobias waiting for him to go do something else while he waited for Sam to tend to the horse. However he just stood there and watched him. So Sam began undoing the chin strap on Artemis's bridle and slid it off her head. Artemis wined with pleasure no longer having the bit in her mouth. Tobias leaned over the stall watching Sam.

"So how long have you and Dean been traveling together?" Tobias asked.

Sam consecrated on the girth strap, happy that he didn't have to look at Tobias. Tobias gave him a great feeling of unease. He was used to having his guard up with Ethan, but this was different. With Ethan it was like a wild dog, barking, growling yelping, it was hard to ignore. But with Tobias he was more like a snake, moving quickly and silently. Using its tongue to smell the slightest difference in its prey.

"We have been traveling together for a while now. Though it feels like we were always together." Sam answered as he rested the saddle over the stall door and put the girth strap on top of it. Tobias just watched him.

"How did you meet Dean?" Tobias asked. "He seems too old to be a school mate? And you seem too young to be on the road by your self." As Tobias said this he moved into the door way of the stall blocking Sam's exit.

Sam looked up at him. Sam ignored his question. "Where is the feed?" He asked instead. Sam tried to show that he wasn't scared of Tobias, but he had already decided to forgo with brushing Artemis, he really just wanted to get away from him. However he wasn't about to let Artemis go hungry.

Tobias stepped out of the way and pointed to where the feed buckets were. Sam filled one and brought it to the stall, and put it beside the water trough that was already there. Artemis ate hungrily. Once again Tobias was in the door way blocking his exit. This time Tobias didn't move. He moved in a little closer to Sam. Sam didn't back down. He told Dean that he could take care of himself and that is what he planned on doing. Tobias raised his hand and gently moved Sam's fringe away from his eyes. He let his hand linger on Sam's forehead then slowly traced his hair line down past his ear to his jaw. _Now_ Sam backed away. However it was a small stall even before there was a horse in it. Sam didn't have anywhere to go. His back hit the stable wall with Tobias's hand still on his face. Tobias was much bigger than Sam and Sam new he had very little chance in a fight with him so he waited for the right moment. Tobias brought up his other hand caressing Sam's neck, slowly leaning into him. He stroked Sam's lips with his fingers.

"Open your mouth." Tobias huskily said. Sam opened his mouth and Tobias slid his thumb in. He let out a deep pleasured sigh at the warmth and softness that Sam's mouth provided. Sam saw his moment and took it. He bit down on Tobias's thumb as hard as he could. Eliciting a scream from the old man. Tobias pulled his hand protectively to his chest and took a few steps backward. Sam pushed him out of the way and took off at a run out of the barn.

He kept running until he was well in the large center stone building. He collapsed against a wall breathing heavily. He didn't know what to do with himself. He was furious with him self and with Tobias, he was ashamed, repulsed, disgusted and afraid. There were so many conflicting emotions running through him, he thought he might burst. His mind finally settled on Dean. He wanted Dean. He wanted Dean to hold him, tell him he was safe, tell him it wasn't his fault, and tell him he did the right thing. But then he thought of how much Dean already did for him. How much trouble he caused him. The last thing that Sam wanted to do was to add to Dean's burdens. Besides there was nothing that Dean could do. It wasn't like Sam needed to be told to stay away from Tobias and there was nothing Dean could do that would undo what happened.

With his mind made up, Sam composed him self and managed to find his way to the dinning hall. As Sam walked through the huge doorway into the dinning hall his eyes frantically searched for Dean. He finally found him by the head table sitting beside Isaac. Relief washed over him. Merely being in Dean's presents was enough to help calm Sam down. He walked over to him and took a seat beside him.

Dean watched Sam walk over to the table. The closer he got the more he got the feeling something was wrong. When he sat down Dean knew there was something wrong. He went to move the hair out of Sam's eyes when Sam flinched slightly.

Sam cursed himself for being so jumpy but Dean had gone to move the Sam hair that Tobias had.

Dean looked at Sam silently demanding an explanation. Sam refused to meet his eyes, preferring instead to playing the hem at the bottom of his shirt.

"Sam." Dean tried. "What happened?"

"Nothing Dean, I am fine." Sam answered meeting his eyes for a moment then letting them fall again.

"You have always been I terrible liar." Dean said, trying to search for the truth.

"No, I haven't." Sam protested.

Dean thought for a second. In fact Sam was a very convincing liar; it had something to do with the innocence that he possessed. Many thought that such an innocent creature couldn't be such a believable liar.

"No." Dean conceded. "But you have always been a terrible liar when it came to lying to me."

Sam felt his stomach drop. He hadn't meant to lie to Dean. He let out a sigh. "Dean." He said. This time meeting his gaze. "I am fine."

Dean didn't have time to explore the matter any further, as a man standing at the head table stood waiting for everyone's attention. Isaac leaned into Dean. "That is Abraham. He is the one who started this settlement." Isaac clarified.

Abraham smiled at the faces looking up to him. "My brothers and sisters. Let us give thanks for the gifts bestowed upon us by God. Let us be thankful for this food and the strong walls that will protect us from the violent storm that we can already hear barking against our settlement. Let us thank God for protecting this Holy land from the sin and depravity that lurks beyond our walls. We will follow God's word and cast out evil and protect his children. Now let us pray. Raise God's name to the heavens so he can hear our joy and humility. Brothers, sisters let us pray." Everyone bowed their head in silent prayer. Once they were done everyone looked to Abraham once again. "Amen." He said and sat down. Then everyone started eating. The sounds of dishes clanking, forks scraping, talking and laughter filled the room as the people in the settlement enjoyed their meal.

After dinner, Isaac introduced Dean and Sam to a woman that would take them to their room. He had to go tend to his own family and he wished the boys and safe night. Sam was sad to see Isaac walk off. But he was also very tired and longed for a bed and warm blanket. The woman led them down one hall and another. The building seemed to be one large maze of stone walls. They finally reach two large oak doors. The woman smiled and opened them. "There you go boys. Rest well." She said smiling at them.

Inside the room there was a large bed, couch, desk, chairs, table and many windows. What caught Sam's attention first was the fire place. He suddenly remembered the night with his father and the hot poker. He tried to banish the memory. He was with Dean now, he was safe. But he knew that as long as he lived he would carry those memories as he carried the scars. H walked to the fire place as the woman closed the door behind Sam and Dean.

"What do you think that this place is?" Sam asked.

"I think that it started off as a hunting loge and was changed over the years." Dean looked around the room then walked over to Sam. He put his finger under Sam's chin brining his face up to Dean's. "I want you to stay close, and try not to talk to anyone." Dean said.

Sam looked up into his eyes and nodded. He smiled. He didn't need to be told twice. He was happy that Dean seemed to have dropped his inquiry into Sam's unusual behavior before dinner, at least for the time being.

Dean was surprised that after all this time Sam's eyes still made his breath catch. Dean caressed Sam's face. Sam closed his eyes and pushed his face into Dean's hand. Sam couldn't tell if the sudden heat he was feeling was coming from the fire or Dean's touch. Dean brought his lips down on Sam's. Sam opened his mouth allowing Dean's tongue. Sam placed his hands on Dean's strong chest, feeling it rise and fall with his heated breaths. Dean placed his hands on Sam's hips pulling him closer. He wrapped his arms around his back and let his hand travel up his spine to the back of Sam's head, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. Sam pushed his groin against Dean's eliciting a groan of pleasure from the older man. Dean with all of his will pulled away from Sam. Sam looked up into his eyes.

"We should get some sleep" He whispered into Sam's ear. He took Sam's hand and guided them to the bed. Once under the warm covers Sam curled into Dean and Dean wrapped his arms around Sam. Dean fell asleep with Sam breathing on his neck.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N" Alright here is another chapie, puppies. I hope you like it. It is the most angsty thing that I have written in my life. I like angst as much as the next person but beware you might O.D. or something.

And thanks again for all of the reviews and the love. I am singing Bette Middler as I type or you read. Either way you are the wind beneath my wings. 

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Sam suddenly woke up still wrapped in Dean's arms. He looked around the room. The fire was dieing, merely orange coals letting off a little bit of heat and light. He strained his eyes to look around the room. He saw nothing out of place; he saw nothing that could have woken him. Sam unwrapped himself from Dean's arms, placed a light kiss on his lips and got out of bed. He paused when he saw Dean shifting. In his sleep he searched out for Sam, his hand searching the bed where Sam once lay. He finally settled and Sam turned and walked toward the window. 

Sam looked out the window he couldn't see much of anything, there was so much snow. Still he stood looking out the window, but then something caught his eye. He tried to see through the snow to the courtyard bellow. From what he could make out it looked like several men and a woman. Sam strained his eyes to see what was happening. It looked like the men where caring boxes and other possessions out of one of the smaller homes. The woman was running from man to man. They all seemed to ignore her. Sam swore he could hear her anguished screams over the wind. Sam's stomach tightened as he watched the woman. It was so rare that people let their emotions show so completely. Even when one cried you still held something back, afraid to be so utterly vulnerable. This woman let every single emotion pass through her. She showed all of her pain. Then when she was exhausted she collapsed to the ground in a heap of despair. She didn't notice the storm, the snow, the wind, or the cold. She sat huddled in desolation. One of the men walked over to her. He pulled her to her feet. She didn't seem to notice him, and he pulled her into the small home, out of the storm. 

Sam continued to stare out the window, waiting for something else to happen. Nothing did. So he stood staring at the snow blowing, lost in thought. One thought changing into another. He didn't focus on one he just let the days events pass through him. Then his mind was assaulted once again by Tobias. He could feel his breath on his skin and his fingers on his face. He shuddered at the memory trying to shake it away. It left him feeling vulnerable; this feeling left him open to the other fears in his mind. He found his self thinking of the forest. He could feel it, even if he couldn't see it. 

He had no idea how long he had been standing by the window, when he broke from his trance. His whole body was stiff from not moving so long. He stretched out his neck and back. It was impossible to tell what time it was. The storm blocked the sun. What he could tell from the people moving about the settlement was that it was early morning. He sighed and chastised himself. He was growing weary of these sleepless nights. He walked back over to bed, back to Dean. Dean shifted in his sleep when he felt the warm body beside him. Sam settled himself in bed with his head on Dean's shoulder. 

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Breakfast was not as formal as dinner was at the settlement. There were too many things that need to be done in a day to wait for everyone to rise and congregate in the great hall. Dean sat beside Sam and watched as he pushed his food around on his plate pretending to eat it. Dean had hoped that with time Sam would become less introverted. In some ways he was but in others, he seemed to be fortifying the walls around himself. Dean sighed to himself, trying to think of a way to get Sam to open up to him. Dean tried not to think that it had something to do with him. That Sam didn't love him or trust him enough to open up to him. Dean told him self that this was not the case but he was having a very hard time believing it. 

Both of the boy's thoughts were broken as Cecelia dropped down beside Sam. Sam looked up at her and gave her a genuine smile. Dean tried not to get jealous that the first smile of the day had gone to Cecelia and not to him.

"Man that was a really bad storm last night!" Cecelia said picking up a role in a bread basket in front of Sam. "I love storms like that. I must have watched it for hours." She paused, waiting for Sam to say something to her. When he failed to do so she continued. "With the storm did you manage to get any sleep?"

Sam laughed dryly. "I watched it too."

Dean shifted in his seat, as he listening to Sam. 

"Really?" Cecelia asked with a little apprehension.

Sam picked up on her apprehension. Had she seen the same thing that Sam had with the poor woman? Did she know what was going on, with the woman, with the forest with everything? Did she know about Tobias what kind of man he was? Sam was tired of having questions and no answers. He pinned her with his eyes. "Ya, I watched the whole thing." Cecelia seemed to shrink. Sam's face was dead serious as he silently demanded an explanation. 

Dean sat still listening. They weren't talking about the storm. He knew that much for sure. What had Sam seen in the dark night?

"Sam." Cecelia tried. "Why don't we go check on Artemis?" She asked as she took Sam's hand. 

"No!" Sam said and he ripped his arm out of her grasp. He wasn't going back to that stall so soon, even if Artemis was there, and he didn't want any of these people touching him. 

"Sam, hey." Dean said from behind him, trying to calm him down. Sam got up and moved towards to the hall doors. Dean followed at his side and Cecelia tried to catch up. Once they were down one of the corridors Cecelia managed to catch up to Sam. 

"Sam, wait!" She said as she grabbed his hand turning him around.

Once again Sam yanked his hand out of her grasp. "Don't touch me!" he yelled. 

"Sam," She said. "You don't understand what you saw last night."

"Then why don't you explain it to me?" He asked coldly. 

She looked into his eyes. She saw anger and distrust. She saw different eyes then she had seen yesterday in the boy with the horse. "They were trying to help her." Cecelia find said. 

"Help her?" Sam asked in disbelief. He turned once again to leave. Cecelia reached out again to stop him, but Dean got in the way.

"He said, don't touch him." Dean said in a low threatening voice. Cecelia withdrew her hand and watched Sam and Dean walk away. 

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Sam pushed open their bedroom door, relieved that he was finally away from Cecelia and all the eyes in the great hall. He walked over one of the chairs in front of the fire. Someone had stoked it again and it was large and warm. He sank into the chair and brought his knees up to his chest, wrapped his arms around himself and just starred. Dean watched him close in on himself. He sighed and took a seat in the opposite chair. He too stared at the fire. 

"Sam." He said with a long sigh. 

Sam ignored him. 

"You have to start talking sometime. You can't keep everything bottled up side you for ever. You aren't made that way. You are going to break." Dean tried. 

Sam stayed quite. 

"Sam, I don't even know where to start. There is so much you are keeping from me."

That gained Sam's attention as he slid his eyes from the fire over to Dean. Sam's eyes bore into Dean. Dean had to keep from flinching. The mixture of raw pain, exhaustion, sadness and even fear was so tangible it threatened to suffocate Dean. 

"What do you want me to talk about?" Sam asked dryly. 

Dean tried to keep his frustration at bay. "Take your pick Sammy; whatever happened before dinner yesterday, or what you saw last night, or what you think is in the forest, what you think of us being on the run all the time…" He paused. "That night with Ethan." The mention of Ethan lost Dean's eye contact with Sam. "Sam you can't keep on caring that around with you. Let me help you."

"You already do too much Dean." Sam said not taking his eyes of the fire. 

"Obviously not enough, Sam."

"I can handle it my self." Sam said resting his chin on his knees.

"You shouldn't have too." Dean said moving closer to Sam.

Sam paused, then said in a low whisper. "I don't want to be more of a burden to you than I already am."

Dean took a shocked moment. "Sam. You aren't a burden."

Sam shot Dean a look that said. '_Ya right_.' 

"Really Sam." Dean said as he knelled in front of Sam's chair. "Everything I do, I do because I love you. Not because you are a burden to me." 

Sam felt his stomach flip flop about thirty four times. Dean had never said those words to him. Their feels toward each other had always been understood but never vocalized. Sam lowered his knees and Dean put his hands on them. Trying to emphasize his point with a physical connection. 

"You mean that?"

"How could I not?" Dean asked as he let his hands slide from his knees up on the outsides of Sam's thighs to his hips . Holding him in some sort of half hug. Sam looked down at him. Dean looked up into his eyes. "Talk to me." He paused. "What happened with Ethan?"

"Doesn't matter." Sam mumbled. 

"Damn it Sam. Yes it does."

"No it doesn't. I don't care what happened. Let's just forget about it." Sam tried.

"No. Sam. You can tell you're self that you don't care till the end of the world but you still will."

Sam hated that he still agonized over what his father had said to him. He kept repeating the conversation over and over in his head. Chewing on it till it had long since lost its flavor. Ethan on the other hand Sam thought probably didn't even give him a second thought. Sam felt a familiar furry in his stomach about the whole situation. 

"Sam." Dean broke through Sam's thoughts. "You have got to let some of this go. Get angry, get sad. Yell, cry, hell laugh even. But you have got to get it out of you." 

"You want me to get angry?" Sam asked warningly. The fury in Sam's stomach listened to what Dean had said and now after months of being caged it wanted out.

Dean watched as Sam's eyes went dark as the question left his lips. He was somewhat relived that he was finally getting through to Sam. But he now braced him self for whatever Sam was going to let loose. "Yes." Dean said. "I want you to get angry."

"Fine!" Sam said as he shoved Dean away from him. "I am angry. You happy now?"

Dean was finally getting somewhere. "What are you angry about?" He asked.

"Everything!" Sam roared. As he stood up from the chair and looked down at the floor where Dean landed. "You want to know what my Dad said to me? Nothing! He said practically nothing. He couldn't find the will to get me to stay. He couldn't get angry that I was leaving. He doesn't love me. He doesn't even hate me. He is indifferent.� He doesn't care one way or the other! Not that I have given him a reason to. I spent every day of my life worrying over everything. How to make him proud to make him…And nothing. I am useless… nothing I ever did nothing I ever could do could ever be good enough. He doesn't care. That is how I knew that there would never be authorities after you, thinking that you kidnapped me. Because he couldn't find it in him to care! Not that I can't blame him." Sam suddenly stopped. He stopped yelling, he stopped pacing. He let his words sink in. He had been thinking them for months. But to hear them out loud. To let them escape into the universe where they could room free and take on life of their own something new. He wanted the words back. Because if he didn't speak them then perhaps it wasn't true. Sam could hold on to the little bit of hope about his father he had left. But he was moments too late. The words bounced around the room then broke free, slipping away. 

Sam couldn't look at Dean; he couldn't make his eyes leave the floor. He stood breathing heavily. He didn't know how to move forward. He heard Dean get up and move towards him. Dean, Sam thought. He repeated his name over and over in his head. Why was Dean here? Why couldn't he see what his father had seen so plainly? Dean came closer. He slipped his arms around Sam and tried to pull him to his chest. Sam pulled back immediately. He was so full of anger, hate and self loathing that he could handle being touched with any amount of love or warmth. He warped him self with his raw self hatred. He didn't deserve Dean. He didn't want to corrupt Dean with his failure and disgust.

Sam felt something trickle between his fingers. He looked down at his hand which was clenched in a fit fist that he didn't remember making. He opened up his hand slowly. He watched as blood ran down his palm, his fingers then fall to the floor. He had been clenching his fist so hard his nails had broken the skin on his palm. He watched in mild fascination. He took a deep breath, watching the blood flow out of him was oddly satisfying. He did this. These small cuts, this blood was his. His pain, proof that he was still alive, more than a being of repulsion, hate and shame. The cuts were ugly and raw like him. They were real.

Dean had watched Sam from the floor. Watch as the anger and hurt poor from him. He listened to his hateful words about him self. Dean tried to keep breathing at an even and steady pace. How could Sam, his Sam hate his self so much? How could he think that Ethan was right, how he could think he deserved what had happened to him? When Sam stopped suddenly he got up and slowly made his way over to him. Normally he could read Sam, understand him with a look. But this was new. Normally Sam's natural light guided Dean, showed Dean his innocence's. However now Sam was dark hiding in his hatred. Dean didn't know how to navigate this. When he tried to hold Sam, he was surprised when Sam coldly pushed him away. He stood by Sam's side waiting for Sam to do something, anything. He was confused when Sam's attention was drawn to his hand. Then he saw the blood.

Dean tried to still his stomach at the thought of Sam hurting himself intentionally or not. He stood in shock as he watched Sam. Watched as the furry in him was quelled by the sight of his own blood. He watched as Sam took comfort in his own pain. That was enough to snap Dean out of his shock. He was not going to loose Sam to any one especially not to Sam himself. 

Dean strode over to the saddle bag that was on the floor by the bed. He reached inside and pulled out a knife, then went back over to Sam.

"Sam." Dean said. Taking Sam's face in his hands and turning Sam to face him. "None of what happened to you was your fault. Ethan was wrong. He will wake up one day and realize what he has lost, and it will be a sorry day for him." - Sam tried to look away. Dean grabbed his face again. "Sam you are everything. Everything to me." Dean took his knife and cut his own hand. Sam let out a shocked gasp. Dean took Sam's bleeding hand in his own. "When you bleed, I bleed. When you hurt, I hurt. When you die, I die." Dean paused and took a deep breath. "When you hurt your self, when you try to kill your self from the inside out. You hurt me, you kill me. That is how much you mean to me. I will say it everyday for the rest of my life, if that's what it takes for you to believe me." 

Sam looked up at Dean. There was nothing to say. The emotion the honesty was etched into his face. Sam let all his hate and anger leave his body as Dean held him in a tight hug. He let the darkness be replaced by light and love. Dean's love.

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Yet another A/N: So my computer had a brain fart and there was a bunch of computer code mixed in with the test. Why? No�idea, not much�of a computer person. I think�that I got it all. But if I didn't. Hence the repost.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry everyone for the long wait. Life seems to have gotten in the way of my plans again. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

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Sam and Dean were again in front of the fire. Dean was sitting in the oversized chair with Sam. Sam sat leaning against Dean with his head resting on his shoulder and neck. Dean's left arm was around Sam's shoulder, hand resting on Sam's hip. Dean's right hand was holding Sam's left. Fingers inter locked, both hands resting on Sam's stomach. With Sam's free hand he traced the new bandaging on Dean's hand, the one that held his. They had been sitting together for hours, resting contently.

"What did you see last night?" Dean asked.

"A woman, out in the storm. Men were taking stuff from her home. She was begging them to stop. I have never seen someone so upset before. I thought that she might die, choke on her grief or her heart was going to give out or something." Sam answered, pulling in closer to Dean troubled by the memory.

Dean kissed the top of his head. "When was this?" He asked.

"A little passed midnight." Sam answered.

"How long where you watching the storm?"

"I don't know, awhile."

They sat together until there was a nock on the door. Dean groaned and slowly got up. He answered the door to find Isaac and Cecelia on the other side. Isaac smiled at Dean. "There you are. I have wondered where you had gotten off to. You have missed lunch." Isaac looked around the room and saw Sam on the chair. He smiled warmly at him. "Have you two been here this whole time?" Isaac asked. Dean nodded 'yes' and shifted his eyes to Cecelia who seemed to shrink behind her father. "I can understand why." Isaac went on. "There is not too much to do with the weather like it is. Though it is starting to dissipate. Might be gone by tomorrow sometime." He paused unsure of how to continue. "Do you mind if I come in? Cecelia tells me that young Sam saw something last night. I was hoping I could try and explain it to him."

Dean looked over to Sam. Sam nodded, signaling to Dean it was okay. Isaac and Cecelia came into the room, and joined Sam by the fire. Dean took his place beside Sam. He and Sam waited for an explanation from Isaac. Isaac seemed lost in the fire, before he started talking.

"That woman you, saw. Her name is Emily. Wonderful woman always had a kind word and a smile for everyone. The type of person that saw the sun even in a storm. She had two little girls. Sarah and Heather. Sarah was the oldest at eleven, precocious girl always up to something. Heather was eight; the younger was slightly more introverted. She tended to live in her own world, though when she did manage to grace us with her presents here on earth she had a wicked wit. You had to watch your self with both of them." Isaac smiled at the memory of the two girls. "One night, the girls went missing… into the forest. That was four months ago. Emily refused to give up hope that they were still alive. Setting up their toys in anticipation of their arrival, then putting them away. She would get their baths ready for them, lay out their sleep wear, make and remake their beds. She wouldn't leave the house afraid that she wouldn't be there when they returned. She was destroying her self. So Abraham and the other council members tried to make their deaths real to her. That is what you saw last night Sam. Those men were taking away the girls toys and other possessions. They were trying to help her move on." Isaac paused at the sight of the boys faces. "Now, it is not what I would have done. Emily needs to keep those girls alive in her memories. That is what is going to help her move on, not ripping their memories away from her. But it was done to help her." Isaac finished and looked between the two boys.

Sam was unsure of what he was supposed to do with this new information. So he got up and went back at the window. Cecelia followed him. Dean and Isaac stayed at the fire.

"It didn't work, did it?" Dean asked now that Sam was out of ear shot.

"No." Isaac answered shaking his head. The grief was evident in the man.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"We found her body after breakfast. She killed her self." Isaac said, trying to steady her self.

Dean couldn't think of what to say. "Will the funeral take place when the storm passes?" He finally asked.

"No." Isaac said, laced with anger. It was odd to hear anger in Isaac's voice. It seemed out of place. "Emily committed suicide. One of the worst sins. Throwing away her gift from god. There will be no funeral. Abraham and the others will scorn her then forget her."

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"The girls didn't just disappear." Sam said to Cecelia at the window.

"They disappeared into the forest." Cecelia answered. She shuddered. "We could hear their screaming all night. It was horrible."

"They weren't the only ones lost into the forest were they?" Sam asked though he already knew the answer.

"No they weren't the first and they will not be the last. I don't how many the forest has taken but they are always children.

Their conversation was interrupted by Dean and Isaac.

"Sam I am sorry that you had to see that." Isaac offered. Sam gave him a small smile of reassurance. "Well then, it is almost time for dinner. We mustn't be late for the blessing. Come let us go."

Once dinner had commenced after the usual blessing Sam and Cecelia were having a hushed conversation, trying to be discrete but failing miserably, as Dean and Isaac looked on knowing exactly what they were talking about: the woods.

Dean sighed, and thought to himself. 'If I never hear the words the woods again it will be too soon. Stupid trees.'

"So, what really happened?" Sam asked.

"The girls, they were taken." Cecelia answered.

"By who?" Sam asked, he just wanted to get some answers.

"Not by who, by what." Cecelia answered ominously.

'For Christ's sake!' Sam thought to himself. 'Let us get to the point!'

Dean couldn't help but chuckle when he looked up from his meal and saw the look on Sam's face. He looked as though he were ready to strangle Cecelia.

"What?" Sam asked nearing the end of his rope.

"A ghost took them." Cecelia said in all seriousness.

Sam deflated. "A ghost?" He repeated wearily.

Cecelia watched Sam's reaction and hurried to gain back his interest. "I am not making this up! A Ghost took them! I can even tell you who and why." Cecelia stated feeling rather proud of her self.

Sam merely looked at her over the rim of his water cup.

"The ghost of Gideon Morgan took them." Cecelia said.

Sam remained silent. He listened, despite himself. He knew there was something going on in the forest; he knew that what ever it was it wasn't natural. But supernatural? But still he listened.

"You see," Cecelia went on knowing she had Sam's attention again. "Gideon Morgan lived here in the settlement years ago, he and his family. They say that he had a beautiful wife. Too beautiful some say. Well, she found here self in trouble. The elders deemed her a witch, a manipulator of evil. But rumor has it that in truth she refused the advances of the chief elder, because of her undying love for her husband. Abraham would know he was there!" Cecelia paused to take a drink of water then continued. "She pleaded innocence, as did Gideon Morgan, her children and close friends. The elders would have none of it. They banished her into the woods, along with her children. The elders said that the spawn of evil could not sleep behind these walls. Gideon went looking for them, to save them. But he was too late. His wife and children died in those woods. Gideon was so over come with grief that he wouldn't leave the bodies of his family. So he stayed with them until he too died. Now he haunts those woods, taking the children from the people who murdered his family."

At this point Cecelia had Sam's full and utter attention, his food and everything else forgotten. "How long ago was this?" Sam asked.

"Before I was born. But the elders, Abraham, my parents they were all there, they new the Morgan's." Cecelia answered.

The two paused. Cecelia so that she could finally have something to eat, Sam so he could think over what he had just learned. He knew that ghosts weren't real. But yet, yet those woods…there was a darkness in them. Sam couldn't fight what he felt. He heard a loud laugh that caught his attention from the head table. He followed the sound to Abraham. He analyzed Abraham. He didn't know what to believe, but what he did know was whatever had happened Abraham was in the center of it.

Dean had been watched Sam and Cecelia while holding a conversation with Isaac. Watched as Sam clamored for answers to the ever growing questions in his over worked head, then he saw him nearly implode with what seemed like disbelief and disappointment, and then he watched Sam's interest grow and grow until Dean wondered if he should lean over and remind Sam to breathe. Then the conversation ended and Dean watched Sam analyze everything. He was able to catch Sam's eye. "Why don't you give that big brain of yours a break? You are going to wear it out." Dean joked.

Sam smiled at him. "Better an over worked brain, than an under worked one." Sam answered.

"And what does that supposed to mean?" Dean asked faying shock.

"Nothing." Sam said with as much innocence as he could muster. Sam and Dean both laughed. And continued to eat their meal.

By the end of the meal Cecelia had once again caught Sam's attention. She was going a trick with her spoon, that sent it spinning over the knuckls of her hand, tossing it into the air spinning a couple of times before landing on her thumb. She was trying to teach Sam but with little luck.

"I give up." Sam said defeated.

"Don't worry." Cecelia said smiling. "It took me ages to learn to do it." She paused. "Now that I have shown you something, you show me something."

Sam sat in consideration for a moment, and then his face split into a smile when he thought of something. "Alright, be ready to be amazed." Sam said as he fished around in his pockets pulling something out but hiding it from Cecelia.

Sam faced Cecelia and began his trick. "There once was a gypsy man who live in Paris. He wandered the streets searching for his true love. Problem was, was he wasn't sure if his love came in the form of a woman or a song. And if by chance his love came in the form of a song which song would it be and would it lead him to a woman."

Cecelia sat listening to Sam, failing to see where the trick was, and stated as much. "But where is the trick?"

"Hold on I am getting there." Sam answered. "So the gypsy man needed to buy a violin in order to play a song. However he only had one coin." At his Sam opened up one of his hands and lying in his palm was a coin. As the story progress it was learned that the gypsy man also held some magic. Sam through slight of hand and a hollow coin made the one coin, become three coins, then two coins and so on and so forth. So every time in the story when the gypsy man used his magic, Sam used his slight of hand with the coins. Cecelia watched with amazement and steadfast interest however so did many of the other settlers.

The other settlers whispered amongst themselves about the display of magic happening right in front of their eyes. Word managed to reach the head table in recorded time. Abraham descended into the masses with his right hand man a burly fellow Aaron and some of his men and made his way over to Sam and Cecelia.

"What have we here then?" Abraham asked. Looming over the two.

Cecelia hesitantly spoke. "Sam was just showing me a trick."

"It really isn't…" – Sam was interrupted by Aaron.

"A trick? We must be weary of trickery these days." Aaron said lowly.

Dean inched closer to Sam. Wondering when he should speak or grab Sam and high tale it out of there.

"Indeed." Abraham said. "Tricks are used to hide all sorts of evil."

"Come now, Abraham he is just a boy." Isaac said rising from his chair. Dean followed suit as did Sam.

"I should hardly think so." Aaron said. "Evil uses all forms and means to deceive us."

"It was just a game!" Dean stated sternly.

"I think not." A low voice said from behind the crowd. Everyone turned around to see Tobias standing in the doorway.

Dean heard Sam's breathe catch, and Dean cursed to himself. They should have left as soon as the storm started to brake.

"Abraham, I should have warned you earlier about this boy." Tobias said walking towards Sam. "Do not listen to the wicked lies that he weaves."

"Tell me what you know, Tobias." Abraham said.

"From the moment that I met him he had been spitting heresies. He knew of the evil lurking in the woods he has a connection to it. I dare say that I am not surprised, for evil knows evil. In fact I tried to confront the boy about it the first night he was here. My suspicions where confirmed. Talking of evil and demons in a foreign tongue."

"That is a lie!" Sam erupted from behind Dean. Suddenly in Dean's mind another piece feel into place in the puzzle that was Sam. What had Sam bothered on their first night here was Tobias. Tobias had done something to him. Dean fought to keep his composure but he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

"Silence him." Abraham commanded. Two men advanced on Sam. Dean spun on his heels to face them.

"Don't you dare touch him." He warned in a low tone.

"And this one." Tobias when on nodding at Dean. "Seems to be bewitched by the younger.

Dean was ready to launch him self at the two men that continued to advance on Sam, but then he felt large hands grab on to his own arms. There were too men on either side of Dean holding him back. Dean struggled in their grasp.

"He knows the evil that lurks in the woods. He knows how the land craves blood for he craves it too" Tobias said.

"The only blood in those woods, was spilt by you!" Sam yelled at Abraham.

Abraham was suddenly aware of all the faces of the people of the settlement watching the scene play out in the dinning hall. "This is not the place to deal with heretics and wickedness. Get them out of here."

Cecelia and Isaac stood watching helplessly. They knew not of what they could do to help, least their own family be called heretics as well.

Once Dean and Sam were dragged out if the dinning hall and into the great hall they were being pulled in opposite directions away from each other.

"Dean!" Sam cried out desperately to Dean.

"I am going to get us out of this!" Dean called back. He struggled to look over his shoulder just as Sam was being dragged around the corner followed by Tobias. Tobias paused and looked back at Dean. Slowly a malevolent grin grew on his face. "You son of a bitch!" Dean yelled at him. "You touch him; you even look at him and I am going to kill you. You hear me I am going to kill you!"

Tobias simply laughed and followed in the direction of Sam.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam was thrown into a large room and the door were abruptly slammed shut

Sam was thrown into a large room and the doors were abruptly slammed shut. He ran at the doors banging them, trying to push them open, screaming all the while. "Let me out! Dean! Open the door." The doors didn't budge. He turned, leaned against them and slid to the floor. He looked around the room. It looked like someone's bed room, very similar to the one that Sam and Dean had been sharing. He heard movement from behind the door, he jumped to his feet and backed away as he saw Tobias come in.

Sam tried to hide his fear but he knew that is was written all over his face. With each step that Tobias took into the room Sam took one back.

"Quite the mess you have gotten your self into Sam." Tobias said still moving closer to Sam.

"Where is Dean?" Sam asked.

"Dean is fine. Dean, Dean, Dean always Dean. I thought that I would never get you alone again. What with the way Dean watches you."

Sam glared at Tobias. Something about the way that he said Dean's name replaced his fear with anger.

"You and Dean are very close. Too close some would say." Tobias now was only a few feet from Sam. "But I understand, there is no right way to love one another. There is no way to help who one loves or lusts for, be it husband, wife, male, female, girl…_boy_." Now Tobias was a breath away from Sam.

Sam smiled. "I see that you didn't learn your lesson from the last time you tried this. Perhaps this time I should break your whole hand."

Tobias moved toward Sam, Sam threw a punch at Tobias, which landed in the older man's stomach. Tobias doubled over and Sam took off toward the other side of the room. Tobias straightened him self and followed, pushing over the furniture that got his way. "You should learn your place boy!" Tobias yelled as he came closer.

Suddenly Sam didn't see Tobias any more he saw his father. Sam stood silent and still. He had never resisted his father. Tobias through over another chair and Sam flinched. He watched as the other man advanced on him. Sam heard Dean's voice in his head. 'When you hurt, I hurt.' Sam no longer saw his father or Tobias he simply saw a man that wanted to hurt him. So when Tobias took a swing at Sam's face he ducked out of the way and Tobias's hand connected with the wall. Tobias let out a powerful yell and yet again cradled his hand to his chest. Sam however was still between Tobias and the wall. Tobias violently kneed Sam in the stomach and Sam feel to the floor. Tobias grabbed Sam's hair and pulled him up against the wall and landed another punch to Sam's face. Sam struggled in Tobias's grip. He managed to spin out, only to be tripped by Tobias and land beside the fire. As Tobias leaned down to grab Sam, Sam reached into the fire and pulled out a log and hit Tobias across the face with and dropped it. Tobias howled with pain. Sam didn't have time to think about the throbbing pain in his own hand as he pushed himself away from Tobias. However he didn't move fast enough. Tobias grabbed the fire shovel and hit Sam across the side of his head with it. Sam hit the floor and tried to fight of the darkness that was threatening to consume him. By the time that he got his eyes to focus again, Tobias hit him on the back with the shovel. Sam rolled with the force of the blow on to his side. Tobias dealt a punishing kick to Sam's stomach.

Sam tried to catch his breath and waited for another attack which didn't come. Sam risked a glance at Tobias. Tobias was steadying himself over Sam. He pulled Sam up and slammed him against the wall.

"Perhaps you aren't worth the effort?" Tobias breathed. "Perhaps your friend down the hall would be more entertaining?"

Sam laughed. "You wouldn't get in four feet of Dean."

"That is probably true, but I don't need to be near him to shoot him." Tobias said as he saw the fear settle in Sam's eyes. "I could shoot him and drag his lifeless corpse in here. I wonder if you will put up the same fight?"

Sam looked into Tobias eyes for any sign that he could be bluffing but he found none.

Tobias saw Sam's resolve crumble. He smiled widely. "That is a good boy."

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Dean didn't know how long he hand been trapped in the make shift study that he was currently occupying. He was pacing from one side of the room to the other. Tossing anything that got in his way clear across the room. His fists was bloody from pounding at the solid oak doors. He was repeating the same mantra over and over again in his head. '_Sam was in trouble, Sam needed him, sammysammysammysammy._' He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a howling scream coming from out the side the room. He knew instantly that is was not Sammy. Dean placed the voice to Tobias. Dean didn't know whether to feel relieved or more scared. Sam was putting up a fight that much was obvious. But would a fight just make Tobias mad, more dangerous?

Then a thought occurred to Dean, if Dean could hear Tobias, could Sam hear him? Dean ran over to the doors. "Sam!" He yelled. "Sam! Hold on. Sam!" Dean listened to hear a response he heard none. "Sam!" He tried again.

Just then the door opened. Isaac walked in. Dean was about to make a run for it when he saw the three men waiting out side the door. He knew he couldn't take out three men with out alerting the others and having more men posted at his door. So he looked to his second option; Isaac.

"Where is Sam?" He asked immediately.

"He is with Tobias." Isaac answered.

"I know that! What is he doing to him? Is he hurt?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." Isaac said.

"Then what _do_ you know, why are you here?" Dan yelled.

"Dean - " Isaac was interrupted by Aaron.

"Isaac, you shouldn't be here." Aaron said.

Isaac hesitated.

"Leave now." Aaron said firmly.

Isaac did as he was told and exited the room. The large doors were once again closed on Dean. Dean let out a yell of frustration.

"Dean." Dean heard a female voice say. Dean looked around and saw nothing. "Dean." It said again.

"Who is it? Who is there?" Dean asked. Dean saw the large tapestry hanging on the other side of the room flap. Then he saw Cecelia's head pop out from behind it.

"Dean" She said again. "I know where Sam is. Come on." She waved for Dean to follow her behind the tapestry.

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Tobias was firmly pressed up against Sam, pushing him against the wall. He was slowly working on Sam's neck, leaving a trail of kisses and licks down to his collar bone. Sam was breathing heavily his eyes were burning. He was trying to keep his tears from falling and sobs from breaking free from his chest. His will was just about to crumble when he thought that he heard Dean's voice. He wasn't sure if he had heard it or his mind was playing desperate tricks on him.

Then he heard it again. This time he was sure. Tobias paused, and breathed into Sam's ear. "He calls for you." Tobias said as he stroked Sam's chest from under his shirt. Sam fought the urge to shrink from Tobias's touch. But if it mean Dean's life Sam knew that he could endure this. Tobias slowly unbuttoned his own shirt, letting it fall to the floor, and then he worked on Sam's. With each button undone he moved Sam closer to the bed.

With each step Sam took, he forced his mind elsewhere. He thought of things and places that Tobias could not touch. He thought off large open spaces, no where to be trapped. He thought of Artemis. Riding her free and uninhibited. He thought of his mother. What she must have been like. Watch she smelled like. What her voice sounded like. From the rare bits of information that Sam was able to get from Ethan he learned that his mother loved to sing. He pictured her singing to him just after he was born just before she died. What he would give to know what song she had chosen.

Tobias pushed Sam down on the bed and lay beside him. With each touch Tobias almost broke through into Sam's thoughts. Sam fought against this. Sam thought of Dean. Dean…_Dean_.

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Isaac took off from Dean's room at a run. He needed to find Abraham. He knew that at this time of day he would be in the dining hall. Isaac tore down one hall and the next making his way to the dinning hall to put an end to this madness.

"Abraham, please I must speak with you." Isaac pleaded to Abraham as Abraham sat at the head table. Abraham nodded. "Those boys. They are not evil, far from it."

"You brought them here. You brought this upon us as them." Abraham said evenly.

"I would have not done so if I thought them evil." Isaac said.

"The boy…the boy." Abraham said more to him self than to Isaac. "There is something wrong about them. They…they are too close. Too close to crossing into the domain of sin."

"They are like brothers." Isaac objected. "Brothers and that is all. Abraham, judgment is not for us to cast." Isaac tried.

"The wicked must be punished."

"Then let God punish them as he sees fit."

Abraham slowly turned to Isaac. "Then we shall deal with them as we deal with him as we deal with all heretics. He shall be cast out into the woods. Into the forest which he seems to know so much about. And if it is Gods will that he lives, then no harm should come to him."

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Dean followed Cecelia out of the room through a hidden passage way, that apparently few knew about. As they moved Cecelia turned to Dean. "I am sorry for all that has happened." She said. Dean looked into her eyes for the first time since she had come to get him. They were blood shot from crying.

"It is not your fault." Dean offered. "Let's just find Sam."

Cecelia nodded and continued navigating the dark passageway. Dean noticed that there was light up ahead. Cecelia suddenly stopped; Dean bumped into her but then looked around. They seemed to be in the back of some sort of storage room. They could hear people moving around on the other side of the door.

One voice called out. "The older one, he is gone!"

Another voice replied. "Then find him. Now! Find him before Abraham hears word!" There was a shuffling noise then all was quite. Cecelia and Dean slowly opened the door and looked around. There was no one in sight. Cecelia started leading them down to Tobias's room when a noise caught their attention. Someone was coming.

"Dean." Cecelia hissed. "There is no were to hide here. Keep going down this hall until you see two large arched doors with brass handles and bolts. That is Tobias's room." Cecelia waved for him to go.

"What are you going to do?" Dean asked.

"I am going to stall whoever it is down the hall. Now go!" Cecelia said urgently.

Dean took off in the direction that Cecelia had pointed in.

Cecelia waited for whoever it was to appear around the corner. He when he did, she felt her self shrink with fear. "Aaron." She said under her breath.

Aaron grabbed her arm. "Cecelia. The older boy's room is empty. Where is he?" He said as he shook her.

"I don't know." Cecelia answered.

Aaron hit her across the face. "Do not lie to me! Where is he?" Aaron yelled.

"I don't know." Cecelia repeated as she started to cry.

This time Aaron punched her.

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Dean heard someone scream from down the hall. He ignored it, he need to find Sam. He slowed as he came across the doors that Cecelia described. He tried the door, it was locked. "Sam!" he called out.

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Tobias was trying to move Sam further on to the bed, when he heard someone at the door and Dean calling to Sam again.

Sam sat bolt up right having heard Dean. He looked at Tobias who glared at him. "I grow weary of your friend." Tobias said his eyes searched his room for his pistol. His eyes located it in it's holder on his belt hanging with his coat. He moved himself off the bed and went to move towards it. Sam however was faster.

"No!" Sam yelled as he lunged at Tobias pulling him away from the gun. Tobias pivoted and hit Sam across his face, then grabbed him around his neck. Sam grabbed on to Tobias's wrists with both hands trying to pull him off.

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After Dean called to Sam he waited to see if Sam would answer him. No reply came. Dean tested the doors; they were old and not very strong. He began ramming at the door. Finally it burst open. It took a moment for Dean to get his bearings but then the he focused on Sam and Tobias, and time seemed to stand still. Both were shirtless, and Tobias had his hands around Sam's neck. Sam had a cut on his forehead, cheek and across his back, and Dean could see large bruises already starting to form across Sam's torso. Sam and Tobias where both looking at Dean. In Tobias's eyes Dean saw anger and in Sam's he saw fear.

In a blur Tobias let go of Sam, and started to go for his gun again. Sam launched him self at Tobias, and both hit the floor.

Dean let out a started "Sam!" when he saw Sam attack Tobias.

He ran over to them, when he heard they were talking to each other.

"I will kill him." Tobias said trying to roll away from Sam.

"No, you won't!" Sam answered as he kneed Tobias in the stomach. Tobias kicked Sam off of him, and intended to get up but Dean landed a sickening blow to the side of his head. Tobias hit the floor hard and let out of pitiful groan. Dean pulled Sam to his feet.

"Sam, you okay?" Dean paused, "I mean he didn't…hurt you?"

"No, Dean. I am okay." Sam said as he looked down at Tobias who seemed to be trying to focus on them and get up at the same time. Dean pulled off his over shirt leaving him clad in a thin grey shirt and gave it to Sam, who quickly accepted it.

As Tobias managed to get to his feet Dean grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shoved him head fist into the wall. "Dean - " Sam tried but Dean interrupted him.

"No, Sam not this time." Dean said hotly. Sam hadn't let Dean even touch Ethan or the pervert Patrick, no way was Tobias going to get off, no way was Tobias going to be spared by Sam's mercy and kindness. Sam wasn't going to stop Dean, not this time.

As Tobias slid to the floor, Dean kicked him in the gut, sprawling him on the floor. Dean grabbed in pulling him up. "Get up you son of a bitch, get up." Dean slammed Tobias back into the wall so that he could look at him. "I told you that if you touched him I would kill you."

Tobias tried to say something but Dean punched him. "Shut up!" Dean silenced him.

Sam watched in silenced shock. He knew that Dean was angry. 'Angry' Sam laughed to himself. 'That is putting it mildly.' Sam was about to stop Dean when he heard an anguished cry coming from outside the room. He looked to see if Dean or Tobias had heard it. From the looks of things neither man had. Sam went to the door and looked down the hall. He heard the cry again but this time it turned into a sob. Sam turned to Dean.

"Dean." He called. Dean hit Tobias again, he didn't seem to hear him. "Dean!" Sam tried again.

Dean heard Sam call to him and he turned his head to him, but also keeping Tobias against the wall. Tobias's head was swimming so badly he had no idea what was going on. "What is it Sam?" Dean asked.

"There is someone outside, they sound like they are in trouble, I think… I think that it sounds like Isaac." Sam went too moved out the door. Then he stopped and looked back at Dean he didn't know what to do.

"Go see who it is. But if you met any trouble come right back here! I will catch up with you in a minute." Dean answered. But still Sam didn't move. "It is okay, Sam."

Then Sam was out the door, following the sobbing. He came across Isaac on the floor his back to Sam. He was holding something in his arms. As Sam moved closer he saw that Cecelia was in his arms and she wasn't moving.

"Isaac?" Sam asked hesitantly.

Isaac didn't take his eyes away from Cecelia.

"Is…is she okay?" Sam asked. Sam saw a shudder run through Isaac's body.

"He killed her." Chocked out.

"What? Who?" Sam asked.

"Aaron. I found her just before she…just before she…Oh God what have I done?" Isaac pulled Cecelia closer. Sam kneeled next to Isaac cradling his burned hand to his chest. He rested his other hand on the older man's shoulder. He had no idea what to say. He couldn't help but think that if he had never come to the settlement…his thoughts wondered back to the first time that he met Isaac, in the woods. That man seemed so happy, curious and full of life. But the man before him. This settlement had a power that Sam had never seen; this settlement had the power to shatter people beyond repair. "You should go. They are coming after you and Dean." Isaac said quietly. "Go, go now. Before it is too late." Sam simply sat in shock in front of Isaac. "GO!" The older man yelled, startling Sam out of his stupor.

Sam got up and turned, as he ran back down the hall he called for Dean. Dean suddenly appeared in the doorway to Tobias's room and closed the door. As Sam approached him, he noticed the blood on Dean's clothes and his damaged fists.

Sam stopped. "Did you…" He trailed off.

Dean took his first real look at Sam. He looked terrible. Then he noticed Sam's hand held gingerly to his chest. Dean ignored Sam's question in favor to one of his own. "Sam what happened to your hand?"

Sam too could play this game and did not answer. He closed the distance between them and grabbed Dean's hand and started pulling him away from the doors. "Dean we have to go now!" Dean saw his urgency. "They are coming after us, once they see Tobias… We have to go now!" Sam almost yelled.

"What else is it? Where it is Isaac?" Dean asked holding on to Sam's hand tighter.

"Cecelia, she is dead. They killed her." Sam said his voice shaking.

They heard men from down the hall. "Okay Sam. You go to Artemis and get her ready. I going to get our stuff and see what supplies I can get. I will meet you in the stalls." Dean said. He was about to let Sam go, when he pulled Sam closer to him, for a hug. Sam stood shocked for a moment, but then hugged back. "God, Sam. I thought…I thought. I am just happy that you are okay." He breathed into Sam's ear. He let go of Sam. "Hurry!"


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Oh My GOSH I am sooooo sorry for the long wait!! Thanks for sticking with me. Life has been kicking my ass.

I just wanted to say another thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. You guys are the bee's knees. Truly and honestly! I can't believe that you have stuck around this long! Alrighty then on with the show!

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Sam was in Dean's arms as they both rode Artemis. They had no choice but to enter the forest. They knew it was the one place that Abraham and his men would not follow, they would not go into the forest at night. Both sets of eyes where scanning the forest looking for any sign of trouble. Artemis was having trouble navigating the forest floor. Roots where tripping her, and the snow was giving the illusion of a flat terrain, though the forest floor was far from it. Her hooves kept sinking deeper then she expected causing her to trip. Dean knew this was hard for her, but he felt safer on her back and he didn't know if could let go of Sam. His fear of almost losing Sam was still strong with in him, almost crippling.

But then Artemis stumbled again, only it was Sam who spoke. "Dean, it is harder for her with us on her back."

"I know." Dean said sighing. He dismounted, then pulled Sam down into his arms. They stood like that for a moment with Sam pressed against Dean's chest. Sam lifted his head to look at Dean. Dean caught his chin and pulling him in for a deep kiss. This kiss was desperate and slow. A kiss to reassure Dean that Sam was still with him. Dean ran his fingers through the hair at the back of Sam's head fisting it and pulling him closer deepening the kiss. Sam hands where full of Dean's shirt. He was holding it so tightly his knuckles where turning white. Their kiss that started slow and desperate was quickly becoming fevered and hard. Dean's other hand slid from Sam's waist to his lower back and under his shirt. He let his fingers and palm explored the warm smooth skin of Sam's back all the while pulling Sam closer.

Sam's head was swimming. He could taste everything in Dean. Dean's anger, desperation, fear…his love, his need for Sam. Sam with all that he had tried to fill that need. But somewhere in his hazed brain he registered that his lungs were dieing for oxygen but he did not want to break this fevered kiss if only for a moment to take a breath. However he felt Dean pulled away and Sam sucked in a much needed gulp air, he let out a barely audible whimper missing Dean's lips already. But then Dean's mouth was back on his, his tongue, his taste back in his mouth. With what the kiss was losing in desperation it was gaining in heat. Dean's touch while still loving was regaining its old aggression. His kiss was bruising, and when Sam thought there was nothing more pleasure that Dean could cause him, Dean started to employ his teeth, nibbling at Sam's skin. Sam let out a low groan. If Dean hadn't of been holding Sam so tightly he surly would have fallen to the ground, weak in the knees.

Then the kiss was broken when both boys were knocked and nearly fell when Artemis readjusted her footing. Dean still held Sam, and there gaze meet. Both were panting heavily trying to relive their burning oxygen depraved lungs. Slowly Sam let a smile cross his face and Dean smirked back and placed a kiss of the corner of Sam's smile. He pulled Sam closer to Airtimes, ready to continue their trek when a low howl stopped him.

Dean armed Sam behind him and scanned the trees. Dean saw nothing out of place; there was no movement, there was nothing. But then they heard the howl again. Upon closer reflection the howl sounded less like an animal and more like a man.

Artemis began to grow excited, and when they heard the noise again, this time closer, louder she reared and took off to Sam's left.

"Artemis!" Sam called, and took off after her.

Dean's attention was drawn in the direction of the noise and didn't react fast enough to grab Sam. He called after him but he was too late. Sam disappeared behind the dense trees and Dean took off after him.

Despite the routes that kept tripping Artemis before she didn't not let them slow her down, she navigated her way around the trees with surprising speed.

Sam running after her somehow managed to keep her in sight. "Artemis!" He called again. Just as Sam thought that he was starting to gain on her, he tripped on a route and fell into the snow covered ground. As he went to stand up something launched him into a near by thicket. He landed in it, and then fell off to the side back onto the ground. He rolled to see what had attacked him. He tried to strain his eyes to focus and he thought he could hear Dean calling for him.

Then something materialized a few feet in front of him. It was a man. But he wasn't a man. He was shaped like a man, but he flickered in and out, and his movements where choppy. Then pieces seemed to fall into place in Sam's head. 'Gideon Morgan…' Sam thought. It was the only thing that seemed to make sense in Sam's head, however crazy it sounded.

Then he spoke to Sam. "They let them freeze….they let them freeze…." He raised his hand and placed it on the side of Sam's head. Sam felt unbearable cold start to move through his body. It stole his breath, and Sam opened his mouth praying for the resolve to draw breath. He tried to move away, but his movements where becoming sluggish and his attempt were futile.

Suddenly the cold hand was gone and he felt something ghosting over him. He focused his eyes to find Dean, looking down at him.

Dean followed the sound of Sam's voice; he grew more and more frantic the longer that Sam was away from him. Suddenly Dean realized that he couldn't hear Sam any more, this spurred him on faster. He turned around a tree and froze. He saw Sam on the ground with a man looming over him. Dean ran at Sam and the man and tried to pull the man off of Sam. However Dean's arms went threw the man, and Dean felt shooting cold threw his arms. Whatever Dean did seemed to work, the man disappeared. Dean was too worried about Sam to contemplate the disappearing man.

Sam wasn't responding to Dean. Dean looked over Sam's body for other injuries, only to discover that Sam's whole body was ice cold. Dean held Sam's hand and examined the blue tinge of his finger tips, then forces his eyes to Sam's face. Sam was pale, too pale and his lips held the same blue tinge as his fingers if not worse. However then Sam opened his eyes and Dean let out a breath that he wasn't aware that he was holding.

He watched as Sam struggled to focus on him and make sense of his surroundings. "Hey, hey Sam. Sam you need to wake up and stay awake for me." Dean said into Sam's ear. Sam tilted his head towards Dean.

Dean wanted to give Sam time to gain his bearings, but the snow that Sam was laying in wasn't do him any good, not to mention the flickering man that had done this to him to begin with. Dean pulled Sam to his chest and wrapped his coat around him. He was in the process of gathering Sam in his arms when he felt the temperature suddenly drop.

He slowly turned around to see the flickering man approaching them. He seemed to be saying something, and he grew closer Dean was able to make it out. "Freeze."

Dean felt Sam shifting in his arms. He looked down at him. "Dean." Sam tried. "G-G-Gideon." Sam's eye lids started to slide shut.

"No, no Sam you need to stay awake. Talk to me. I don't know what Gideon means." Dean said dividing his attention between Sam and the man. He started pulling Sam closer, he was going to take Sam, head in the direction of Artemis's tracks…then…well that was as far as his plans got as the man was getting closer.

Sam tried again. "The man…is Gideon Morgan." Sam didn't have a chance to finish. He was swept up in Dean's arms and Dean started to make his way away from Gideon. However Gideon suddenly appeared in his way. "How?" Dean started to ask. But Gideon tried to reach out for Sam again. Dean jerked back and the sudden moved meant sent both he and Sam to the ground.

Gideon was yet again advancing on the two, when Dean heard a loud bang, a shotgun he realized. The round hit Gideon and he disappeared again. Another man came out from behind a large tree scanning the area while heading towards Dean and Sam.

"Are you two okay?" He asked.

He received no reply.

"Hey!" The man tried again. "I need to know if you two are okay enough to get out of the woods on your own."

"There are people who are…" Dean trailed off as Gideon reappeared and the man shot at him again with what turned out to be a showed off shot gun.

"The people from the settlement?" The man asked.

Dean nodded. For the time being Dean was willing to take his chances with this new man, rather with Gideon on his own or face Abraham and his men again.

"Fools!" The man said under his breath. "I am Robert Singer. Most people just call me Bobby, though. What are your names?" He asked.

"Forget who we are! What the hell is that?" Dean asked.

"That is the ghost of Gideon Morgan." Bobby answered. Dean was gearing up to fire off more questions when Sam stopped him.

"He is trying to avenge his family." Sam filled in. Dean took a long look at Sam. He seemed more coherent and was started to shiver, which meant that he was starting to get better…well a little better at least. "I am Sam, and this is Dean." Sam offered.

"Well Sam and Dean why don't we take care of Gideon and get you out of these woods?" Bobby offered.

"How do you take care of a ghost?" Dean managed to chip in.

"Salt and burn its bones. I was almost done when I heard you two." Bobby answered.

Sam and Dean slowly got to their feet, with Dean steadying Sam and keeping his coat firmly around the shoulders of the younger man. They looked at Bobby wearily.

"Look I know that you got no reason to trust me despite that I just saved your life. But I think that I found your horses. Left her tied up by the remains of Gideon.

Sam and Dean cautiously followed Bobby and sure enough they came across a clearing to find Artemis, another horse and a hole in the ground. They observed as Bobby poured salt onto the remains followed by fuel, and then added a flame. They heard the same howl and saw Gideon charging for them. Bobby jumped in front of Sam and Dean and lifted his shot gun. But before the ghost of Gideon even got close he burst into flames, and was gone with one last soulful cry.

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An hour later found Dean and Sam in Bobby's humble cabin. Thankfully with Artemis out side eating some feed that Bobby had for his own horses. Both boys were wrapped in blankets sitting side by side at on end of the very large fireplace, with Bobby on the other side. Bobby had noticed the injuries on both of them especially Sam, but new better then to approach them about it. Dean was already inspecting Sam's burnt hand. It struck him that this young man who was so cold and wary of Bobby could be so different with his young charge. The patience and warmth that he supplied for Sam was well…Bobby couldn't find the words. The more Bobby watched the two of them the more he felt for them, a strong erg to protect them manifested in him, much to Bobbies chagrin, he was a harden warrior! He wouldn't let him self be swayed by two kids, yet here he was completely absorbed in their interaction with each other. They seemed to feed off of each other. Sam fed off of Dean's attention to him and Dean fed off of Sam's love for him. They sustained each other. Bobby started to try and manage his new found matronly feelings and try to find out why the boys had been in the woods in the first place.

He sat patiently as they recounted their story or the parts of their story that they were willing to tell Bobby. But from what the boys told him and from what he already new about the settlement he was able to figure it out.

After the boys were done explaining what had happened there was a pregnant pause which Sam interrupted. "So what were you doing in the woods any way?" He asked.

"Well, I was there to take care of Gideon Morgan." Bobby said as if it was the most oblivious thing in the world.

"Well then why didn't you do it earlier?" Sam asked

"Sam!" Dean scolded.

"I had to figure out what it was first." Bobby answered.

"What?" Dean asked sounding incredulous.

"Well there is a whole host of things that it could have been, I had to narrow down the field first. I couldn't go in blind; I had to be sure that is was a ghost." Bobby explained.

"You mean that there are other things out there besides ghosts?" Sam asked shocked.

"Hate you say so but yes. There is a whole world full of evil out there." Bobby stated. Sam seemed to shrink under Bobby's statement.

Bobby saw what he had done and worked quickly to remedy the situation. "But never mind this old man. It is late and you boys have been to hell and back. Why don't you stay here the night, and you can head out in the morning?" Bobby offered. He watched the boys. Dean looked like he was about to object. He didn't seem to want to take any more risks with strangers. "Hey…" Bobby put up his hand defensively. "You two can stay out here. My room is at the back of the cabin, this is a creaky old place, you would hear me coming… but if it gets too fishy for you the door is right there." Bobby said pointing at the exit.

Dean sighed. He was exhausted. "Yeah sure. Thanks" He said. He watched as Bobby left the living room and walked down the hall to his room. He was right about the old structure, it creaked and groaned with every step, there was no way anyone could move around silently. He heard Sam heave and deep sigh beside him. Dean looked at him; he could tell that he was retreating back into his head again, no doubt replaying the worst of the day's events over and over in his head.

Dean put his hand on Sam's cheek, pulling to face him. "Hey, stay here with me; don't float away in that head of yours." Dean said putting on a smile that he didn't really feel. Dean saw his eyes flicker with emotions as Sam tried to control them. "Talk to me." Dean tried again.

"Cecelia…" Sam chocked out.

Realization hit Dean. He hated to admit it but with everything that had happened he had forgotten about Cecelia.

"Dean she is dead because of…" Sam trailed off then tried again. "If I hadn't-"

Dean cut him off. "That was not your fault Sam! You didn't kill her. It was Aaron. None of what happened was your fault. You hear me? None of it." He punctuated his thought by pulling Sam closer to him.

Despite Dean's words Sam couldn't help but feel responsible for the whole mess. He was also biting down on another question that he didn't know if he really wanted the answer to: Tobias. But then thinking about Tobias opened another wave of emotions that Sam was to tired to handle.

Dean could practically feel Sam thinking in his arms. He smiled despite him self. After everything that had happened Sam was still Sam. He tilted Sam's head up to face him. Sam's moss green eyes search Dean's emerald ones. Sam was looking for the blame and the resentment that Sam thought Dean must be feeling towards him but found none, the only thing he saw was love, acceptance and a little bit of worry. Sam relaxed in his touch.

Then exhaustion finally took Sam and Dean. They lay down in front of the fire, Sam wrapped in Dean's arms and feel asleep.

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The next morning Sam woke to Dean talking to Bobby. He noted that Dean had already backed most of their belongings.

"So all that stuff that we were told wasn't real, is?" Dean asked trying to clarify everything.

"Most of it." Bobby answered. "But there are things that you can do to protect your self." Bobby amended.

Sam shifted and caught the attention of both Bobby and Dean. Dean smiled at him and walked over. "Hey." He said as he knelt down in front of Sam. "How are you doing?" He asked softly.

"I am okay." Sam assured him. "We are leaving?" He asked.

"I think that it is best." Dean nodded.

Sam got up and went to work folding the blankets and packing the ones that where theirs and placing Bobby's on a chair. After a small breakfast that Bobby offered the boys where ready to go.

Bobby saw them to the door. "I don't want you two to be strangers. I might not have known you two for very long but I know trouble magnets when I see them. I want word that you two are doing okay."

They both nodded. "Thanks Bobby." Sam said.

"You watch your selves you hear?" Bobby added as he watched them go.

Suddenly Dean turned around. "You said there are ways that we can protect our selves. How?" He asked.

"There are all sorts of ways. There are charms and spells, that sort of thing. I am useless when it comes to that sort. But there is a man I know, who does know his way around protection spells, damn fine hunter. I could send you in his direction. He was here not two weeks ago." Bobby offered.

"Sure, sounds great. What is his name?" Dean asked.

"John Winchester." Bobby answered.

Dean paled.

"Dean is that..?" Sam whispered.

"My dad." He answered.

_**Fin**_

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Well that is it. Thanks again for sticking with me for so long. This chapter just would not write it's self.

But really thanks for all your support. Thanks to those who reviewed and added me to alerts and favs, it wouldn't have been finished if it wasn't for your support.

So take it easy my friends.

Ali J


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